Examen des Réactions D’intolérance aux Aliments et aux Additifs Alimentaires

There is ongoing interest in the community in the area of intolerance reactions to food and food additives. To inform future discussions on this subject, FSANZ initiated a scientific review to give further consideration to key issues underpinning the public debate. This paper provides an overview of the contemporary understanding of food intolerance, and highlights the individual nature of intolerance reactions and the wide range of food chemicals, whether naturally occurring or added to food, which may contribute to intolerance reactions. The clinical manifestations of intolerance described in the literature vary widely, both in relation to the symptoms reported and the substances implicated. Symptoms associated with food intolerance reactions range from mild to severe but the effects are largely transient. The immune system is not involved in these reactions, and therefore these forms of food intolerance are not allergies.   Food substances most commonly associated with intolerance reactions are naturally occurring chemicals such as salicylates and biogenic amines. While some food additives may contribute to intolerance reactions, clinical observations suggest that affected individuals are usually sensitive to several substances, including both natural food chemicals as well as artificial and natural food additives. Food additives, particularly food colours, are perceived to be a major cause of intolerance reactions in the community. However, except for sulphites, clinical evidence of a causal link between food additives and intolerance reactions is limited, and the frequency, severity and spectrum of symptoms are yet to be determined.   In Australia and New Zealand, the approval of food additives follows a rigorous process based on two principles: the additive must fulfil a technological function, and must not pose a safety concern to consumers at the proposed level of use. Approved additives must be declared on the food label. This regulatory approach ensures a high level of safety for all consumers and supports dietary management for individuals affected by food intolerance.La communauté manifeste un intérêt soutenu à l’égard des réactions d’intolérance aux aliments et aux additifs alimentaires. Pour éclairer les discussions à ce sujet, l’agence FSANZ a entrepris un examen scientifique visant à approfondir les principaux enjeux qui sous‐ tendent le débat public. Le présent document fait état de la compréhension actuelle des intolérances alimentaires et met en évidence la variabilité des réactions d’intolérance selon les individus, de même que la vaste gamme de substances chimiques alimentaires, qu’elles soient   naturellement présentes ou ajoutées aux aliments, susceptibles de contribuer aux réactions d’intolérance. La description des manifestations cliniques de lʹintolérance, que ce soit les symptômes eux‐mêmes ou les substances qui en sont responsables, varie grandement dans la littérature. Les symptômes attribués aux réactions d’intolérance alimentaire peuvent être mineurs ou sévères, mais ces effets sont généralement passagers. Comme le système immunitaire ne joue aucun rôle dans ces réactions, ce type d’intolérances alimentaires n’est pas assimilé aux allergies.   Les substances alimentaires les plus fréquemment mises en cause dans les réactions d’intolérance sont des substances chimiques d’origine naturelle telles que les salicylates et les amines biogènes. Bien que certains additifs puissent contribuer aux réactions dʹintolérance, les observations cliniques donnent à penser qu’habituellement, les personnes qui en sont atteintes sont sensibles à plusieurs substances, notamment aux substances chimiques alimentaires naturelles et artificielles de même qu’aux additifs alimentaires naturels et artificiels. Les additifs alimentaires, et plus particulièrement, les colorants alimentaires, constitueraient la principale cause des réactions d’intolérance dans la communauté. Toutefois, les données cliniques établissant le lien causal entre les additifs alimentaires et les intolérances, à l’exception des sulfites, sont limitées, et la fréquence, la gravité et la gamme des symptômes ne sont pas encore déterminées. En Australie et en Nouvelle‐Zélande, le processus d’approbation des additifs est rigoureux et fondé sur deux principes : l’additif doit remplir une fonction technologique et, utilisé à la dose proposée, il ne doit poser aucun risque pour la santé des consommateurs. La présence des additifs autorisés doit être déclarée sur l’étiquette des aliments. Cette approche réglementaire permet de veiller très efficacement à la sécurité de tous les consommateurs et aide les personnes atteintes d’intolérances alimentaires dans la gestion de leur alimentation

Review of intolerance reactions to food and food additives

There is ongoing interest in the community in the area of intolerance reactions to food and food additives. To inform future discussions on this subject, FSANZ initiated a scientific review to give further consideration to key issues underpinning the public debate. This paper provides an overview of the contemporary understanding of food intolerance, and highlights the individual nature of intolerance reactions and the wide range of food chemicals, whether naturally occurring or added to food, which may contribute to intolerance reactions. The clinical manifestations of intolerance described in the literature vary widely, both in relation to the symptoms reported and the substances implicated. Symptoms associated with food intolerance reactions range from mild to severe but the effects are largely transient. The immune system is not involved in these reactions, and therefore these forms of food intolerance are not allergies. Food substances most commonly associated with intolerance reactions are naturally occurring chemicals such as salicylates and biogenic amines. While some food additives may contribute to intolerance reactions, clinical observations suggest that affected individuals are usually sensitive to several substances, including both natural food chemicals as well as artificial and natural food additives. Food additives, particularly food colours, are perceived to be a major cause of intolerance reactions in the community. However, except for sulphites, clinical evidence of a causal link between food additives and intolerance reactions is limited, and the frequency, severity and spectrum of symptoms are yet to be determined. In Australia and New Zealand, the approval of food additives follows a rigorous process based on two principles: the additive must fulfil a technological function, and must not pose a safety concern to consumers at the proposed level of use. Approved additives must be declared on the food label. This regulatory approach ensures a high level of safety for all consumers and supports dietary management for individuals affected by food intolerance

Health Risk Assessment for Cyanobacterial Toxins in Seafood

Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) are abundant in fresh, brackish and marine waters worldwide. When toxins produced by cyanobacteria are present in the aquatic environment, seafood harvested from these waters may present a health hazard to consumers. Toxicity hazards from seafood have been internationally recognised when the source is from marine algae (dinoflagellates and diatoms), but to date few risk assessments for cyanobacterial toxins in seafood have been presented. This paper estimates risk from seafood contaminated by cyanobacterial toxins, and provides guidelines for safe human consumption

A rhetoric-in-context approach to building commitment to multiple strategic goals

There are still few explanations of the micro-level practices by which top managers influence employee commitment to multiple strategic goals. This paper argues that, through their language, top managers can construct a context for commitment to multiple strategic goals. We therefore propose a rhetoric-in-context approach to illuminate some of the micro practices through which top managers influence employee commitment. Based upon an empirical study of the rhetorical practices through which top managers influence academic commitment to multiple strategic goals in university contexts, we demonstrate relationships between rhetoric and context. Specifically, we show that rhetorical influences over commitment to multiple goals are associated with the historical context for multiple goals, the degree to which top managers' rhetoric instantiates a change in that context, and the internal consistency of the rhetorical practices used by top managers. Copyright © 2007 SAGE Publications

Dermal absorption of chemicals: Some australian regulatory considerations

A wide range of chemicals in formulated products are used in, and around, the average residential dwelling and occupational workplace. Intentional or inadvertent exposure to these chemicals may occur via the dermal, inhalation, and oral routes. However, the main route of exposure for the majority of products is the dermal route. A key step in the regulation of chemicals that are used in these settings is to ascertain their safety. This is usually done with a risk assessment. An important element of a risk assessment is to provide a quantitative estimate of the extent of both dermal exposure and the resultant internal (or systemic) dose. This chapter focuses on the estimation of internal dose once dermal exposure has been determined. Practical aspects of the process of extrapolation from animal data in the estimation of human risk are also discussed using data for two insect repellents, picaridin, and dimethyl phthalate (DMP), as examples

Human pharmacokinetic study of tutin in honey:A plant-derived neurotoxin

Over the last 150. years a number of people in New Zealand have been incapacitated, hospitalised, or died from eating honey contaminated with tutin, a plant-derived neurotoxin. A feature of the most recent poisoning incident in 2008 was the large variability in the onset time of clinical signs and symptoms of toxicity (0.5-17. h). To investigate the basis of this variability a pharmacokinetic study was undertaken in which 6 healthy males received a single oral dose of tutin-containing honey giving a tutin dose of 1.8. μg/kg body weight. The serum concentration-time curve for all volunteers exhibited two discrete peaks with the second and higher level occurring at approximately 15 h post-dose. Two subjects reported mild, transient headache at a time post-dose corresponding to maximum tutin concentrations. There were no other signs or symptoms typical of tutin intoxication such as nausea, vomiting, dizziness or seizures. Pharmacokinetic analysis using a two-site absorption model resulted in a good fit to the observed concentration data. A novel analytical method subsequently revealed the presence of glycoside conjugates of tutin in addition to unconjugated tutin in honey. These pharmacokinetic data will be important to better define a safe maximum tutin concentration in honey

Naturalistic face adaptation: How we adapt to freckles fast and sustainably

While sunbathing, our skin becomes susceptible to quite remarkable changes in visual appearance, that is, freckles appear or increase in intensity—most obviously on the face. Research on face adaptation repeatedly showed that the inspection of manipulated versions of faces (so-called adaptor faces) leads to robust and sustainable changes in the perception of subsequently presented faces. Therefore, during the adaptation phase of the present study, participants saw faces with either strongly increased or decreased intensities of freckles. After a 5-minute break, during the test phase, participants had to identify the veridical (non-manipulated) face out of two faces (a slightly manipulated face combined with a non-manipulated face). Results showed strong adaptation effects to increased and decreased levels of freckles. We conclude that updating facial representations in memory is relatively fast, and these representation updates seem to sustain over a certain time span (at least 5 minutes). Face-specificity of our effects will be discussed. The results align with our everyday experience that the appearance of freckles in spring is a salient change in a familiar face; however, we seem to not register these changes after a few exposures due to a loss of information quality