Effects of four Fusarium toxins (fumonisin B(1), alpha-zearalenol, nivalenol and deoxynivalenol) on porcine whole-blood cellular proliferation.

The in vitro effects of four Fusarium toxins, fumonisin B1 (FB1), a-zearalenol (a-ZEA), nivalenol (NIV) and deoxynivalenol (DON), on mitogen-induced cell proliferation were determined in swine whole-blood cultures. Considering the lack of sufficient toxicological data both on single and in combination effects, in vitro studies may contribute to risk assessment of these toxins. Incubation with increasing concentrations of FB1 did not produce any consequence on proliferation; in contrast a-ZEA, NIV and DON showed an inhibitory effect. Dose–response curves for each mycotoxin were generated. NIV was found to be the most potent toxin followed by DON and a-ZEA. The effects of both FB1 þ a-ZEA and NIVþ DON mixtures were also analysed to investigate possible interactions. The results indicated that combination of FB1þ a-ZEA produces a synergistic inhibition of porcine cell proliferation; whereas there is no interaction between DON and NIV on porcine wholeblood proliferation, at tested concentrations

Recommendations and tools to implement food and nutrition policies for collective catering

Surveys (2015 – 2018) carried out by the local health agency of Trieste (LHATs) in a collective catering (CC) sample (nurseries, schools, university, hospitals, nursing homes, workplaces), with a total production of 20% of the meals served daily in the area, have shown some critical conditions. In some CC the following has been observed: noncompliance of food supply quality and quantity, loss of up to 80% of antiradicalic power (ARP) and poliphenol content of several vegetable dishes, increase of more than 50% of oxidized compounds in some fish and homogenized meat dishes, as demonstrated by the University of Trieste. This represents a triple burden for the community: consumption of non-protective meals from oxidative stress; fraud of product quality/quantity (equal to 2-4% of contract value); and failure of the challenges of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It is also a serious problem for institutionalized and hospitalized people as, according to the literature, the prevalence of the risk of malnutrition in patients exceeds 50% and 25% respectively. In view of these findings, LHATs has developed recommendations and tools to improve the control capability of organizations that outsource the CC. These recommendations take into consideration: analysis of item costs, merceological food value, working conditions, and integrate the indications of the Ministry of Health for CC that provide: adoption of dietary guidelines, Nutrient Analysis Critical Control Points (NACCP) process and updated food composition. Tools recommended by LHATs permit monitoring and control food supply quality-quantity, NACCP process, ARP and other markers to detect the nutritional value of meals. The key process to developing actions to better apply food and nutrition policies and to contribute to SDGs in strategic local CC is the ability of the public health to analyze its context in a systemic view to innovative provision of improve sustainable healthy protective nutrition for communities