Economic costs of foodborne diseases at social level

In order to develop effective policy alternatives, measuring the costs of foodborne has become a priority disease all over the world [1.]. Nowadays a great number of studies have been conducted in the literature to calculate the economic impact of diseases. However, calculating the total burden due to food borne illnesses - as it makes necessary to know the real number and all the type of costs - seems to be a big challenge for the researchers. In addition, these studies use different methods and can vary by perspective which can limit the comparability of the results. The primary aim of our work is to resume the methodologies most commonly used for calculating the social costs of foodborne diseases

Általános iskolások élelmiszerbiztonsági kockázatészlelése = Food safety risk perception of elementary school students

A Nemzeti Élelmiszerlánc-biztonsági Hivatal kiemelt céljai közé tartozik a vásárlók élelmiszerlánc-biztonsággal kapcsolatos tudatosságának növelése, amelynek az egyik legfontosabb feltétele az élelmiszer-vásárlással, -kezeléssel, -tárolással és -fogyasztással kapcsolatos alapvető ismeretek gyermekkorban történő megszerzése. Ezt a készségszintű tudást egy kialakult szokásokkal rendelkező felnőtt esetében ugyanis már nem lehet hasonló hatékonysággal átadni. A cikkben a szerzők egy általános iskolások körében elvégzett élelmiszerlánc-biztonsági felmérés eredményeit mutatják be. A NÉBIH a Budapesti Corvinus Egyetemmel közösen egy kisebb elemszámú (n=267), pilot kérdőíves felmérést végzett el hét budapesti, ökoiskolai hálózathoz tartozó - vagyis fenntarthatósági célokat az oktatás során prioritásként kezelő - általános iskola részvételével. A kutatás során negyedik osztályos (10-11 éves) tanulókat kérdeztünk meg, amire a szülők írásos beleegyezését követően kerülhetett sor. A valós helyzetkép megismerése érdekében a gyerekeknek segítséget nyújtottunk a kérdőív kitöltésében, ugyanakkor törekedtünk arra, hogy a válaszaikat ne befolyásoljuk. A kutatás egyik legfontosabb pozitív tapasztalata, hogy a téma iránt kifejezett érdeklődést mutattak mind a szülők, mind a tanulók. A szám szerűsített eredm ényekből arra következtethetünk, hogy bár a m egkérdezett gyerm ekek egyes élelm iszer-biztonsági kérdésekben tájékozottak voltak, a kockázatokat sok esetben tévesen m érik fel. Az ism eretek hiánya a kisfiúk esetében hangsúlyosabban jelenik m eg. Term észetesen a felm érés eredm ényeit nagyban befolyásolhatta a bevont iskolák köre. Valószínű, hogy ha nem csak egyes budapesti öko-iskolák tanulóit vizsgáltuk volna, lényegesen nagyobb szórást tapasztaltunk volna a gyerekek tudásszintjében és tudatosságában. Az eredm ények azonban így is hasznos segítséget adnak arra vonatkozóan, hogy egy későbbi általános iskolásoknak szóló ism eretterjesztő kam pány során milyen szem pontokat érdem es leginkább figyelem be vennünk. It is among the key objectives of the National Food Chain Safety Office to increase consumer awareness regarding food chain safety, one of the most important conditions of which is to obtain basic knowledge related to the purchase, handling, storage and consumption of foods. Mastering of this skill cannot be learned with the same efficiency by an adult already possessing ingrained habits. In this article, results of a food chain safety survey, performed among elementary school students, are presented by the authors. A small element number (n=267) pilot questionnaire survey was conducted by NÉBIH, together with Corvinus University of Budapest, with the participation of seven Budapest elementary schools belonging to a network of eco-schools, i.e., schools that treat sustainability targets as priorities in education. During the study, fourth-grade (10 to 11 years old) students were asked, which could take place after obtaining written consent from the parents. To ascertain what the real situation was, kids were given help in filling out the questionnaire, however, we tried not to influence their answers. One of the most positive experiences of the study was that both parents, as well as students showed a pronounced interest in the topic. It can be concluded from the numerical results that, although the children surveyed were well-informed about certain food safety issues, risk were assessed erroneously in many cases. The lack of knowledge was more prominent for the young boys. Naturally, results of the survey could be influenced greatly by the range of schools included. It is likely that if not only students of certain Budapest eco-schools had been surveyed, a signficantly larger variation in the knowledge level and awareness of the children could have been found. However, results still provide useful pointers about what the aspects are that would be worth taking into consideration the most during a later educational campaign for elementary school students

Hazai élelmiszerek részaránya a magyarországi kiskereskedelmi láncok választékában = Share of domestic foods in the product range of Hungarian retail chains

A kereskedelmi láncok kínálatának részletes vizsgálata azt mutatta, hogy szignifikáns előrelépés történt a hazai termékek részarányának változásában a vizsgált kategóriákban. Az elemzésbe vont 10 láncból 9 esetben növekedést mértünk, s mind a hazai, mind a nemzetközi láncok átlagáról is ez mondható el. A felmérés rámutat arra is, hogy egyes, magas hozzáadott-értékű termékkategóriák esetében (mint például a feldolgozott tejtermékek, vagy a sonka) rendkívül alacsony a hazai gyártók részaránya a kínálatban, amelyet feltétlenül fejleszteni szükséges. Úgy gondoljuk, hogy felmérésünk értékes visszajelzés a szakpolitikai döntéshozók számára, ésfontosinformációaterméktanácsok,szakmaiszövetségekésaversenyszféra szereplői számára a stratégiai döntéseik előkészítéséhez. 2014-ben a hazai előállítású élelmiszerek részaránya a kereskedelmi láncokban végzett felméréseink szerint 78,2% volt, amely a 2010-es adatokhoz képest 2,5%-os növekedést jelent. A hazai termékek részarányának növekedése élelmiszer-biztonsági szempontból is előnyös körülmény, hiszen esetükben a gyártó és forgalmazó vállalkozások a magyar hatóság számára könnyen elérhetők és ellenőrizhetők. Detailed analysis of the product range of retail chains showed that there had been a significant improvement in the share of domestic products in the categories analyzed. In the case of 9 of the 10 chains included in the study, an increase was measured, and this is also true for the averages of both domestic and international chains. The survey also showed that the share of domestic manufacturers in the product range is extremely low in the case of certain high added value product categories (such as processed dairy products or ham), which should definitely be improved upon. We think that our survey provides a valuable feedback to policy makers, and important information to product councils, professional associations and private sector stakeholders in making their strategic decisions. According to our surveys performed in retail chains, the share of domestically produced foods in 2014 was 78.2%, a 2.5% increase compared to 2010 data. The increasing share of domestic products is also beneficial from a food safety point of view, because manufacturers and distributors can be accessed and checked easily in their case

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Insects as "new" foods

The rapid growth of world population and the scarcity of natural resources are serious problems from an agricultural point of view, therefore, sustainable food production is an increasingly important issue. According to researchers, insects could mean the solution to the impending “protein crisis”, among other things. In recent years, society’s interest in the consumption of foods made of insects increased significantly in Europe, but it should be mentioned that entomophagy (the consumption of insects) is not a new phenomenon, because hints of it can already be found in the Bible. Several studies, discussing mainly the advantages and possible risks of insect consumption have already been prepared, however, our knowledge is still very limited. Although legislation is far from being uniform, we have to be prepared that, sooner or later, foods made of insects are likely to become part of our everyday diet

Food safety knowledge and awareness of primary school children

The National Food Chain Safety Office (NFCSO) is working to ensure the highest possible level of food safety from farm to table. As an integral part of this, particular attention is paid to minimizing risks that result from the potential lack of knowledge or from the misconceptions of consumers by its awareness raising programs, and emphasis is put on this even in the case of young children who are most receptive to these ideas. In our paper, the results of the survey intended to form the basis of this activity and investigating the knowledge level and awareness of the children are presented. Our research experience indicates that the sometimes incomplete food safety knowledge of children and, in addition, the fact that risks are perceived to be less than actual levels in certain cases justify the coordinated work of teachers and authority experts to instill the necessary knowledge in children already in primary schools

Consumer attitudes in field of Hungarian red paprika

Informed decision is a key issue in consumer science that has influenced the food control regime in Europe. Ground red paprika has got some specialities that make it a unique food stuff for Hungarian consumers: an uniquely Hungarian product or Hungaricum, in other words. This also means that beyond measurable quality parameters paprika accounts for an ethical value for Hungarian consumers. Considering this, it is even more important to provide a clear definition of products on the shelves at buying situations. Indication of quality categories certainly represents a critical part of food labelling. In case of red paprika, as a spice, the Hungarian “Food Book”, Codex Alimentarius Hungaricus nominates four different quality categories. In our study we have conducted a throughout analysis of the level of consumer comprehension in regard of these categories. We found that there is a complete misunderstanding in this issue. Only two out of the four quality categories were identified by the consumers. We also recorded perplexity when we asked the respondents to organize the valid four categories in order according their quality level. As a summary, we have to conclude that conditions of informed decision making have not been met in regard of red paprika purchasing in case of most of the Hungarian consumers

Amphiphilic hyperbranched polyglycerols in a new role as highly efficient multifunctional surface active stabilizers for poly (lactic/glycolic acid) nanoparticles

Amphiphilic hyperbranched polyglycerols synthesized with alkyl alcohol initiators are efficient surfactants and stabilizers for poly(lactic/glycolic acid) nanoparticles, which offer various new possibilities for surface functionalized nanosystems.</p

Stevia: beyond the sweetener

More and more people use sweeteners as sugar substitutes, and among these, one can find products of both natural and artificial origin. One of the most popular ones among natural sweeteners is Stevia of plant origin, and the popularity of the use of dried Stevia leaves as tea has been increasing as well. There are approximately 150 to 300 species that belong to the genus Stevia. Of these, the best known is Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni, and the sweetening power of the product, containing a mixture of glycosides, that can be obtained from its leaves, can be as high as 350 times of that of sugar. Before its authorization for use as a food additive in 2011, several evaluations were carried out regarding the safety of steviol glycosides, and finally an ADI value of 4 mg per kilograms of body weight was determined by the EFSA in 2010. Nonetheless, the Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni plant itself and its dried leaves are currently classified in the European Union as not authorized novel foods. This is so, because steviol glycosides authorized as sweeteners contain 95% purified stevioside and/or rebaudioside A, while dried Stevia leaves contain a variety of other components. Research into the risks of these are still taking place