Cell membrane integrity, callose accumulation, and root growth in aluminum-stressed sorghum seedlings

Aluminum stress usually reduces plant root growth due to the accumulation of Al in specific zones of the root apex. The objectives of this study were to determine the localization of Al in the root apex of Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moech. and its effects on membrane integrity, callose accumulation, and root growth in selected cultivars. Seedlings were grown in a nutrient solution containing 0, 27, or 39 μM Al3+ for 24, 48, and 120 h. The Al stress significantly reduced root growth, especially after 48 and 120 h of exposure. A higher Al accumulation, determined by fluorescence microscopy after staining with a Morin dye, occurred in the root extension zone of the sensitive cultivar than in the tolerant cultivar. The membrane damage and callose accumulation were also higher in the sensitive than resistant cultivar. It was concluded that the Al stress significantly reduced root growth through the accumulation of Al in the root extension zone, callose accumulation, and impairment of plasma membrane integrity

Health claims in the labelling and marketing of food products:: the Swedish food sector's Code of Practice in a European perspective

Since 1990 certain health claims in the labelling and marketing of food products have been allowed in Sweden within the food sector's Code of Practice. The rules were developed in close dialogue with the authorities. The legal basis was a decision by the authorities not to apply the medicinal products’ legislation to “foods normally found on the dinner table” provided the rules defined in the Code were followed. The Code of Practice lists nine well-established diet–health relationships eligible for generic disease risk reduction claims in two steps and general rules regarding nutrient function claims. Since 2001, there has also been the possibility for using “product-specific physiological claims (PFP)”, subject to premarketing evaluation of the scientific dossier supporting the claim. The scientific documentation has been approved for 10 products with PFP, and another 15 products have been found to fulfil the Code's criteria for “low glycaemic index”. In the third edition of the Code, active since 2004, conditions in terms of nutritional composition were set, i.e. “nutrient profiles”, with a general reference to the Swedish National Food Administration's regulation on the use of a particular symbol, i.e. the keyhole symbol. Applying the Swedish Code of practice has provided experience useful in the implementation of the European Regulation on nutrition and health claims made on foods, effective from 2007

The new EC Regulation on nutrition and health claims on foods

The area of health claims has been unregulated in Europe until recently. A new regulation on nutrition and health claims made on foods came into force on 19 January 2007. The Regulation has been eagerly awaited by all parties involved. The Regulation includes 37 whereas clauses, 29 Articles and an annex for nutrition claims and conditions applying to them. In practice, three main types of health claim are included in the Regulation, as referred to in Articles 13 and 14. The type of the scientific evidence is described slightly differently for Article 13.1 and Article 13.5: “generally accepted scientific evidence” and “newly developed scientific evidence”, respectively, although the scientific status of evidence shall be the same for all kinds of claims. So far, there are four types of guidance for applying the Regulation. The wording of health claims is an essential issue in the Regulation, as well as the concept of nutrient profiles. In the Regulation there are three issues of special interest, when compared to the Swedish Food Sector's Code of Practice, i.e. concerns about “other substances”, “food supplements” and “the average consumer”. The Regulation will be evaluated in 2013, reporting the impact of this Regulation on dietary choices and the potential impact on obesity and non-communicable diseases

Mapping and linking supply- and demand-side measures in climate-smart agriculture. A review

Climate change and food security are two of humanity’s greatest challenges and are highly interlinked. On the one hand, climate change puts pressure on food security. On the other hand, farming significantly contributes to anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. This calls for climate-smart agriculture—agriculture that helps to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Climate-smart agriculture measures are diverse and include emission reductions, sink enhancements, and fossil fuel offsets for mitigation. Adaptation measures include technological advancements, adaptive farming practices, and financial management. Here, we review the potentials and trade-offs of climate-smart agricultural measures by producers and consumers. Our two main findings are as follows: (1) The benefits of measures are often site-dependent and differ according to agricultural practices (e.g., fertilizer use), environmental conditions (e.g., carbon sequestration potential), or the production and consumption of specific products (e.g., rice and meat). (2) Climate-smart agricultural measures on the supply side are likely to be insufficient or ineffective if not accompanied by changes in consumer behavior, as climate-smart agriculture will affect the supply of agricultural commodities and require changes on the demand side in response. Such linkages between demand and supply require simultaneous policy and market incentives. It, therefore, requires interdisciplinary cooperation to meet the twin challenge of climate change and food security. The link to consumer behavior is often neglected in research but regarded as an essential component of climate-smart agriculture. We argue for not solely focusing research and implementation on one-sided measures but designing good, site-specific combinations of both demand- and supply-side measures to use the potential of agriculture more effectively to mitigate and adapt to climate change

The phytosterol content of some cereal foods commonly consumed in Sweden and in the Netherlands

The aim of this report was to quantify five specific dietary phytosterols and phytostanols (campesterol, β-sitosterol, stigmasterol, β-sitostanol, and campestanol) in cereal foods and to study the effect of boiling on sterol content. A capillary column gas liquid chromatography procedure was used to analyse 76 cereal food items of Swedish and Dutch origin: 19 various flours, grains and germs, 31 processed cereals, including bran, flakes, cereal grains and pasta, nine breads, and 17 biscuits, cakes, crackers, cookies and sweet breads. The median total phytosterol concentration was 49 (range 4.1-344) mg/100g edible portion (e.p.). Flours, grains and germs had a median concentration of 52 (17-344) mg/100g e.p., which was similar to breads, 54 (29-89) mg/100g e.p., and different types of miscellaneous cakes and cookies, 52 (27-112) mg/100g e.p. Processed cereal products had slightly lower concentrations with a median value of 39 (4.1-200) mg/100 g e.p. In general, β-sitosterol was the dominant phytosterol (62% of the total concentration), followed by campesterol (21%), while there were only small amounts of stigmasterol (4%), β-sitostanol (4%) and campestanol (2%). Boiling of cereal products only influenced the phytosterol concentration through change of water content. © 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All right reserved