75 FR 27981 - Codex Alimentarius Commission: Meeting of the Codex Alimentarius Commission

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-19

... undertaken by international governmental and non- governmental organizations. The CAC will finalize standards... Nations organizations, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO...

21 CFR 130.6 - Review of Codex Alimentarius food standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Review of Codex Alimentarius food standards. 130.6 Section 130.6 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION FOOD STANDARDS: GENERAL General Provisions § 130.6 Review of Codex...

76 FR 18150 - Codex Alimentarius Commission: Meeting of the Codex Committee on Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (CCFFV)

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-01

... Alimentarius Commission: Meeting of the Codex Committee on Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (CCFFV) AGENCY: Office...), and the Fruit and Vegetable Programs of the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), are sponsoring... 16th Session of the CCFFV Contact: Dorian Lafond, International Standards Coordinator, Fruit and...

Global Harmonization of Maximum Residue Limits for Pesticides.

PubMed

Ambrus, Árpád; Yang, Yong Zhen

2016-01-13

International trade plays an important role in national economics. The Codex Alimentarius Commission develops harmonized international food standards, guidelines, and codes of practice to protect the health of consumers and to ensure fair practices in the food trade. The Codex maximum residue limits (MRLs) elaborated by the Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues are based on the recommendations of the FAO/WHO Joint Meeting on Pesticides (JMPR). The basic principles applied currently by the JMPR for the evaluation of experimental data and related information are described together with some of the areas in which further developments are needed.

Codex Alimentarius: food quality and safety standards for international trade.

PubMed

Randell, A W; Whitehead, A J

1997-08-01

Since 1962, the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) of the Food and Agriculture Organisation/World Health Organisation has been responsible for developing standards, guidelines and other recommendations on the quality and safety of food to protect the health of consumers and to ensure fair practices in food trade. The mission of the CAC remains relevant, but a number of factors have shown the need for new techniques to form the basis of food standards, the most important of which is risk analysis. The authors give a brief description of the role and work of the CAC and the efforts deployed by the Commission to respond to the challenges posed by new approaches to government regulation, harmonisation of national requirements based on international standards and the role of civil society.

Global standard for the composition of infant formula: recommendations of an ESPGHAN coordinated international expert group.

PubMed

Koletzko, Berthold; Baker, Susan; Cleghorn, Geoff; Neto, Ulysses Fagundes; Gopalan, Sarath; Hernell, Olle; Hock, Quak Seng; Jirapinyo, Pipop; Lonnerdal, Bo; Pencharz, Paul; Pzyrembel, Hildegard; Ramirez-Mayans, Jaime; Shamir, Raanan; Turck, Dominique; Yamashiro, Yuichiro; Zong-Yi, Ding

2005-11-01

The Codex Alimentarius Commission of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) develops food standards, guidelines and related texts for protecting consumer health and ensuring fair trade practices globally. The major part of the world's population lives in more than 160 countries that are members of the Codex Alimentarius. The Codex Standard on Infant Formula was adopted in 1981 based on scientific knowledge available in the 1970s and is currently being revised. As part of this process, the Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses asked the ESPGHAN Committee on Nutrition to initiate a consultation process with the international scientific community to provide a proposal on nutrient levels in infant formulae, based on scientific analysis and taking into account existing scientific reports on the subject. ESPGHAN accepted the request and, in collaboration with its sister societies in the Federation of International Societies on Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, invited highly qualified experts in the area of infant nutrition to form an International Expert Group (IEG) to review the issues raised. The group arrived at recommendations on the compositional requirements for a global infant formula standard which are reported here.

75 FR 61119 - Codex Alimentarius Commission: Meeting of the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-04

... Further Information About the Public Meeting Contact: Jasmine Matthews, Program Analyst, U.S. Codex Office, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Room 4861, Washington, DC 20250, (202) 690-1124, Jasmine[email protected

Nutrition issues in Codex: Health claims, nutrient reference values and WTO agreements: A conference report

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A previous workshop had reviewed the development of the Codex Alimentarius (Codex) and its central role in protecting the health of consumers and ensuring fair practices in international food trade. This workshop further reviewed how Codex promotes harmonization and consensus by promoting the coordi...

77 FR 51511 - Codex Alimentarius Commission: Meeting of the Codex Committee on Processed Fruits and Vegetables

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-24

... Information About the Public Meeting Contact: Jasmine Curtis, U.S. Codex Office, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Room 4865, Washington, DC 20250. Phone: (202) 690-1124, Fax: (202) 720-3157, Email: Jasmine[email protected

Risk analysis and the law: international law, the World Trade Organization, Codex Alimentarius and national legislation.

PubMed

Horton, L R

2001-12-01

This paper discusses the place of risk analysis in international trade from a US perspective, through looking at the activities of the World Trade Organization and the Codex Alimentarius Commission. After examining what the trade agreements say about risk analysis and how international bodies are advancing and using risk analysis, the paper goes on to assess how risk analysis is used at a national level. Finally, recommendations are made for strengthening international food safety initiatives.

76 FR 3601 - Codex Alimentarius Commission: Meeting of the Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-20

..., One Potomac Yard, Room S-7100, 2777 South Crystal Drive, Arlington, VA 22202. Documents related to the..., color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and...

78 FR 4829 - Codex Alimentarius Commission: Meeting of the Codex Committee on Fats and Oils

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-23

... will be held in Langkawi, Malaysia, February 25-March 1, 2013. The Under Secretary for Food Safety and... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Food Safety and Inspection Service [Docket No. FSIS-2012-0055] Codex... for Food Safety, USDA. ACTION: Notice of public meeting and request for comments. SUMMARY: The Office...

77 FR 54875 - Codex Alimentarius Commission: Meeting of the Codex Committee on Fish and Fishery Products

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-06

... final product requirements) Proposed Food Additive Provisions in Standards for Fish and Fishery Products... (held at Step 7) Section 4 Food Additives Draft Standard for Quick Frozen Scallop Adductor Muscle Meat... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Food Safety and Inspection Service [Docket No. FSIS-2012-0035] Codex...

77 FR 3229 - Codex Alimentarius Commission: Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues (CCPR)

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2012-01-23

... be held at EPA, Room S-7100, One Potomac Yard South; 2777 South Crystal Drive, Arlington, Virginia..., sexual orientation, and marital or family status (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs...

78 FR 8101 - Codex Alimentarius Commission: Meeting of the Codex Committee on Food Additives

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-05

... the building and its parking area. If you require parking, please include the vehicle make and tag... offers an electronic mail subscription service which provides automatic and customized access to selected...

76 FR 71308 - Codex Alimentarius Commission: Meeting of the Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Codex Task Force on Animal...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-17

... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Food Safety and Inspection Service [Docket No. FSIS-2011-0026] Codex...: Office of the Under Secretary for Food Safety, USDA. ACTION: Notice of public meeting and request for comments. SUMMARY: The Office of the Under Secretary for Food Safety, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA...

76 FR 3600 - Codex Alimentarius Commission: Meeting of the Codex Committee on Food Additives

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-20

... because it will expedite entry into the building and its parking area. If you require parking, please... provides automatic and customized access to selected food safety news and information. This service is...

77 FR 5483 - Codex Alimentarius Commission: Meeting of the Codex Committee on Food Additives

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-03

... building and its parking area. If you require parking, please include the vehicle make and tag number when..., FSIS offers an electronic mail subscription service which provides automatic and customized access to...

76 FR 18149 - Codex Alimentarius Commission: Meeting of the Codex Committee on Food Labeling

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-01

... organically produced foods. (a) Annex 1: Inclusion of ethylene for other products at Step 7. Use of ethylene... ethylene for de-greening of citrus fruit, induction of flowering in pineapples and sprout inhibition in...

Assessment of possible allergenicity of hypothetical ORFs in common food crops using current bioinformatic guidelines and its implications for the safety assessment of GM crops.

PubMed

Young, Gregory J; Zhang, Shiping; Mirsky, Henry P; Cressman, Robert F; Cong, Bin; Ladics, Gregory S; Zhong, Cathy X

2012-10-01

Before a genetically modified (GM) crop can be commercialized it must pass through a rigorous regulatory process to verify that it is safe for human and animal consumption, and to the environment. One particular area of focus is the potential introduction of a known or cross-reactive allergen not previously present within the crop. The assessment of possible allergenicity uses the guidelines outlined by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Health Organization's (WHO) Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex) to evaluate all newly expressed proteins. Some regulatory authorities have broadened the scope of the assessment to include all DNA reading frames between stop codons across the insert and spanning the insert/genomic DNA junctions. To investigate the utility of this bioinformatic assessment, all naturally occurring stop-to-stop frames in the non-transgenic genomes of maize, rice, and soybean, as well as the human genome, were compared against the AllergenOnline (www.allergenonline.org) database using the Codex criteria. We discovered thousands of frames that exceeded the Codex defined threshold for potential cross-reactivity suggesting that evaluating hypothetical ORFs (stop-to-stop frames) has questionable value for making decisions on the safety of GM crops. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

75 FR 1027 - Codex Alimentarius Commission: Meeting of the Codex Committee on Milk and Milk Products

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-08

... Safety, and the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), are..., FSIS will announce it online through the FSIS Web page located at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/regulations...

78 FR 83 - Codex Alimentarius Commission: Meeting of the Codex Committee on Food Import and Export...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-02

... international harmonization (e) Making recommendations for information exchange in relation to food import...;and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings, #0;delegations of authority... to provide information and receive public comments on agenda items and draft United States (U.S...

77 FR 43234 - Codex Alimentarius Commission: Meeting of the Codex Committee on Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-24

... Agriculture (USDA), and the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), are sponsoring a public meeting on August 30... Session of the CCFFV Contact: Dorian Lafond, Agricultural Marketing Service, Fruits and Vegetables... United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Working Party on Agricultural Quality Standards in...

76 FR 59381 - Codex Alimentarius Commission: Meeting of the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-26

... Nondiscrimination Statement USDA prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and... discrimination, write USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW...

76 FR 5130 - Codex Alimentarius Commission: Meeting of the Codex Committee on Fat and Oils

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-28

.... USDA Nondiscrimination Statement USDA prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs... file a written complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil...

Food control from farm to fork: implementing the standards of Codex and the OIE.

PubMed

Hathaway, S C

2013-08-01

The Codex Alimentarius (Codex) international food standards help to ensure food safety and promote fair practices in the international food trade. Implementing these standards using a risk management framework (RMF) approach to decision-making is an increasingly common aspect of the food control programmes of national governments. The Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) provides guidance at both the system and food commodity levels. In the case of zoonoses, similarities in the risk analysis methodologies used to underpin standard setting by the CAC and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) are highly enabling of integrated food control systems. The CAC and the OIE are increasingly working together to develop their respective standards for foodborne zoonoses and other hazards so that they are non-duplicative, cohesive and utilise the whole food chain. There is a clear need for effective integration of food safety and animal health monitoring and surveillance information to better control foodborne zoonoses. This is increasingly supported by Codex and OIE standards working together in a variety of ways and realisation of benefits is highly dependent on coordination and sharing of information between Competent Authorities and other food safety stakeholders at the national level.

77 FR 7125 - Codex Alimentarius Commission: Meeting of the Codex Committee on General Principles

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-10

... recognizes the importance of providing interested parties the opportunity to obtain background information on... range from recalls to export information to regulations, directives, and notices. Customers can add or... public meeting on March 28, 2012. The objective of the public meeting is to provide information and...

76 FR 59656 - Codex Alimentarius Commission: Meeting of the Codex Committee on Food Import and Export...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-27

... the 19th Session of the CCFICS. USDA Nondiscrimination Statement USDA prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age...) 720-2600 (voice and TTY). To file a written complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Office of the...

78 FR 59336 - Codex Alimentarius Commission: Meeting of the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-26

... for Food Safety, USDA. ACTION: Notice of public meeting and request for comments. SUMMARY: The Office... Administration (FDA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), are sponsoring a public meeting on October 23, 2013. The objective of the public meeting is to provide information and receive public...

77 FR 21077 - Codex Alimentarius Commission: Meeting of the Codex Committee on Food Labeling

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-09

... Production, Processing, Labeling and Marketing of Organically Produced Foods. (a) Inclusion of Ethylene for Other Products at Step 7; Use of Ethylene for the Ripening of Fruit. (b) Inclusion of Spinosad, Copper Octanoate, and Potassium Bicarbonate. (c) Use of Ethylene for Degreening of Citrus for Fruit Fly Prevention...

75 FR 10206 - Codex Alimentarius Commission: Meeting of the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Food

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-05

.... Early registration is encouraged because it will expedite entry into the building and its parking area. If you require parking, please include the vehicle make and tag number, if known, when you register... service which provides automatic and customized access to selected food safety news and information. This...

77 FR 5481 - Codex Alimentarius Commission: Meeting of the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Food

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-03

... expedite entry into the building and its parking area. You should also bring photo identification and plan for adequate time to pass through security screening systems. If you require parking, please include... automatic and customized access to selected food safety news and information. This service is available at...

75 FR 4523 - Codex Alimentarius Commission: Meeting of the Codex Committee on Food Additives

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-28

... registration is encouraged because it will expedite entry into the building and its parking area. If you require parking, please include the vehicle make and tag number when you register. Because the meeting... provides automatic and customized access to selected food safety news and information. This service is...

Overexpression of biologically safe Rorippa indica defensin enhances aphid tolerance in Brassica juncea.

PubMed

Sarkar, Poulami; Jana, Kuladip; Sikdar, Samir Ranjan

2017-11-01

Transgenic mustard plants ( Brassica juncea ) expressing non-allergenic and biologically safe RiD peptide show higher tolerance against Lipaphis erysimi. Rorippa indica defensin (RiD) has previously been reported as a novel insecticidal protein derived from a wild crucifer Rorippa indica. RiD was found to have an effective insecticidal property against mustard aphid, Lipaphis erysimi. In the present study, RiD was highly upregulated in R. indica during aphid infestation initiating a defense system mediated by jasmonic acid (JA), but not by salicylic acid (SA)/abscisic acid (ABA). RiD has also been assessed for biosafety according to the FAO/WHO guideline (allergenicity of genetically modified foods; Food And Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, Rome, Italy, 2001) and Codex Alimentarius Guideline (Guidelines for the design and implementation of national regulatory food safety assurance programme associated with the use of veterinary drugs in food producing animals. Codex Alimentarius Commission. GL, pp 71-2009, 2009). The purified protein was used to sensitize BALB/c mice and they showed normal histopathology of lung and no elevated IgE level in their sera. As the protein was found to be biologically safe and non-allergenic, it was used to develop transgenic Brassica juncea plants with enhanced aphid tolerance, which is one of the most important oilseed crops and is mostly affected by the devastating pest-L. erysimi. The transgene integration was monitored by Southern hybridization, and the positive B. juncea lines were further analyzed by Western blot, ELISA, immunohistolocalization assays and in planta insect bioassay. Transgenic plants expressing RiD conferred a higher level of tolerance against L. erysimi. All these results demonstrated that RiD is a novel, biologically safe, effective insecticidal agent and B. juncea plants expressing RiD are important components of integrated pest management.

75 FR 10205 - Codex Alimentarius Commission: Meeting of the Codex Committee on General Principles

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-05

....S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), is sponsoring a public meeting on March 23, 2010. The objective...: The public meeting will be held at USDA, Room 107-A, Jamie L. Whitten Building, 1200 Independence Ave... . The U.S. Delegate to the 26th Session of the CCGP, Karen Stuck, USDA, Food Safety and Inspection...

76 FR 8710 - Codex Alimentarius Commission: Meeting of the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Food

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-15

... registration is encouraged as it will expedite entry into the building and its parking area. You should also... require parking, please include the vehicle make and tag number when you register. Attendees that are not... provides automatic and customized access to selected food safety news and information. This service is...

Limits and regulations for mycotoxins in food and feed.

PubMed

Zmudzki, J; Wiśniewska-Dmytrow, H

2004-01-01

Mycotoxins are natural contaminants whose presence in food- and feedstuffs cannot be completely avoided. Since several mycotoxins have been associated with and implicated in human and animal diseases there is a need to establish maximum levels, guidelines or action levels for them in some kinds of commodities. International and government authorities in many countries have been investing in mycotoxins research and initiating administrative actions for elaboration of legislation and implementing regulatory measures for the control of mycotoxins. Codex Alimentarius Commission is established international legislation on food and feed. In European Union specific limits and regulations for mycotoxins and other contaminants are constructed under the general Codex standards and based on proposal from European Commission. The legal basis for European Commission became available with the framework Council Regulation (EEC) No 315/93. In this paper, legislation regarding maximum levels for certain mycotoxins in food- and feedstuffs in European Community and other countries were reviewed and discussed.

15 CFR 287.4 - Responsibilities of Federal agencies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... requirements and measures. An example of this would be to collect and review information on similar activities..., quality and environmental management systems, management system registration and accreditation are issued... Cooperation and Development (OECD), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Codex Alimentarius Commission...

15 CFR 287.4 - Responsibilities of Federal agencies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... requirements and measures. An example of this would be to collect and review information on similar activities..., quality and environmental management systems, management system registration and accreditation are issued... Cooperation and Development (OECD), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Codex Alimentarius Commission...

15 CFR 287.4 - Responsibilities of Federal agencies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... requirements and measures. An example of this would be to collect and review information on similar activities..., quality and environmental management systems, management system registration and accreditation are issued... Cooperation and Development (OECD), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Codex Alimentarius Commission...

Initial interlaboratory validation of an analytical method for the determination of lead in canned tuna to be used for monitoring and regulatory purposes.

PubMed

Santiago, E C; Bello, F B B

2003-06-01

The Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) Standard Method 972.23 (dry ashing and flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry (FAAS)), applied to the analysis of lead in tuna, was validated in three selected local laboratories to determine the acceptability of the method to both the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex) and the European Union (EU) Commission for monitoring lead in canned tuna. Initial validation showed that the standard AOAC method as performed in the three participating laboratories cannot satisfy the Codex/EU proposed criteria for the method detection limit for monitoring lead in fish at the present regulation level of 0.5 mg x kg(-1). Modification of the standard method by chelation/concentration of the digest solution before FAAS analysis showed that the modified method has the potential to meet Codex/EU criteria on sensitivity, accuracy and precision at the specified regulation level.

Evaluation of certain food additives and contaminants

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) met in Rome from 14 to 23 June 2011. The purpose of the committee was to provide the Codex Alimentarius Commission access with objective advice on high priority food safety matters. Specifically, the tasks before the Committee were: i) t...

Confirmation of gluten-free status of wheatgrass

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Celiac Disease (CD) and other gluten related disorders causes both malabsorption of nutrients and an abnormal immune reaction to gluten, the only effective therapy is a gluten-free diet. Codex Alimentarius sets the threshold level at 20 mg/kg gluten for gluten-free foods and this threshold has been ...

The emergence of international food safety standards and guidelines: understanding the current landscape through a historical approach.

PubMed

Ramsingh, Brigit

2014-07-01

Following the Second World War, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) teamed up to construct an International Codex Alimentarius (or 'food code') which emerged in 1963. The Codex Committee on Food Hygiene (CCFH) was charged with the task of developing microbial hygiene standards, although it found itself embroiled in debate with the WHO over the nature these standards should take. The WHO was increasingly relying upon the input of biometricians and especially the International Commission on Microbial Specifications for Foods (ICMSF) which had developed statistical sampling plans for determining the microbial counts in the final end products. The CCFH, however, was initially more focused on a qualitative approach which looked at the entire food production system and developed codes of practice as well as more descriptive end-product specifications which the WHO argued were 'not scientifically correct'. Drawing upon historical archival material (correspondence and reports) from the WHO and FAO, this article examines this debate over microbial hygiene standards and suggests that there are many lessons from history which could shed light upon current debates and efforts in international food safety management systems and approaches.

Evolution of the cooperation between the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the Codex Alimentarius Commission.

PubMed

Berlingieri, F; Bruno, A; Njeumi, F; Cavirani, S

2007-12-01

The Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement) of the World Trade Organization recognises the international standards adopted by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) in matters of animal health and zoonoses and those adopted by the Codex Alimentarius Commission (the Commission) in matters of food safety. The importance of the production phase in ensuring food safety has been acknowledged and the OIE and the Commission have been working to strengthen their cooperation since 2001, with the intent of promoting a holistic approach to the food chain. Procedures for exchanging information are in place, communication has improved and there is cross-referencing between the respective international standards of the two organisations. Good examples of collaboration in the development of standards include the texts produced by the two organisations regarding meat inspection and animal/product identification and traceability. At the same time, there is still room for improving cooperation and the legal services of the OIE, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization are expected to work together to find options for closer collaboration between the OIE and the Commission.

The precautionary principle and other non-tariff barriers to free and fair international food trade.

PubMed

Lupien, John R

2002-07-01

International food trade and world population are growing rapidly. National legislation has been enacted and implemented in many countries to assure good quality and safe foods to meet increased demand. No country is fully self-sufficient in domestic food production to meet population demands, and all require some food imports. Current international food trade agreements call for free and fair food trade between all countries, developed and developing. National food legislation and food production, processing and marketing systems have evolved in most countries to ensure better quality and safer foods. At the international level the work of the FAO/ WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex) and the World Trade Organization Agreements on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) and on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) and related Uruguay Round agreements have been agreed to by over 140 countries with the aim to promoting the free and fair trade of good quality and safe foods between all countries. The SPS and TBT agreements rely on science-based Codex standards, guidelines, and recommendations as benchmarks for judging international food trade disputes. A number of non-tariff barriers to trade, often related to agricultural subsidies and other food trade payments in developed countries, continue to give rise to complaints to WTO. They also continue to prevent free and fair trade, particularly for developing countries in international food trade. A number of these non-tariff barriers to trade are briefly examined, along with other domestic and international food trade problems, and recommendations for improvements are made.

Unintended Effects in Genetically Modified Food/Feed Safety: A Way Forward.

PubMed

Fernandez, Antonio; Paoletti, Claudia

2018-04-20

Identifying and assessing unintended effects in genetically modified food and feed are considered paramount by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), World Health Organization (WHO), and Codex Alimentarius, despite heated debate. This paper addresses outstanding needs: building consensus on the history-of-safe-use concept, harmonizing criteria to select appropriate conventional counterparts, and improving endpoint selection to identify unintended effects. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

FDA regulations regarding iodine addition to foods and labeling of foods containing added iodine12

PubMed Central

Trumbo, Paula R

2016-01-01

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates the addition of iodine to infant formulas, the iodization of salt, and the addition of salt and iodine to foods. The required amount of iodine in infant formulas is based on caloric content, and the label must provide the iodine content per 100 kcal. Cuprous iodide and potassium iodide may be added to table salt as a source of dietary iodine at a maximum amount of 0.01%; if added, the label must indicate that the salt is iodized. Table salt to which iodine has not been added must bear the statement, “This salt does not supply iodide, a necessary nutrient.” If a nutrient is to be appropriately added to a food for the purpose of correcting a dietary insufficiency, there should be sufficient scientific information available to demonstrate a nutritional deficiency and/or identify a public health problem. Furthermore, the population groups that would benefit from the proposed fortification should be identified. If iodine is added to a food, the percent Daily Value of iodine must be listed. There are no FDA regulations governing ingredient standards for dietary supplements. As a result, some dietary supplements include iodine and others do not. If a supplement contains iodine, the Supplement Facts label must list iodine as a nutrient ingredient. If iodine is not listed on the Supplement Facts label, then it has not been added. There are similarities between the FDA, which establishes US food regulations and policies, and the Codex Alimentarius (Codex), which develops international food standards and guidelines under the aegis of the FAO and the WHO. Both the FDA and Codex call for the labeling of table salt to indicate fortification with iodine, voluntary labeling of iodine on foods, and a Daily Value (called a Nutrient Reference Value by Codex) of 150 μg for iodine. PMID:27534626

FDA regulations regarding iodine addition to foods and labeling of foods containing added iodine.

PubMed

Trumbo, Paula R

2016-09-01

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates the addition of iodine to infant formulas, the iodization of salt, and the addition of salt and iodine to foods. The required amount of iodine in infant formulas is based on caloric content, and the label must provide the iodine content per 100 kcal. Cuprous iodide and potassium iodide may be added to table salt as a source of dietary iodine at a maximum amount of 0.01%; if added, the label must indicate that the salt is iodized. Table salt to which iodine has not been added must bear the statement, "This salt does not supply iodide, a necessary nutrient." If a nutrient is to be appropriately added to a food for the purpose of correcting a dietary insufficiency, there should be sufficient scientific information available to demonstrate a nutritional deficiency and/or identify a public health problem. Furthermore, the population groups that would benefit from the proposed fortification should be identified. If iodine is added to a food, the percent Daily Value of iodine must be listed. There are no FDA regulations governing ingredient standards for dietary supplements. As a result, some dietary supplements include iodine and others do not. If a supplement contains iodine, the Supplement Facts label must list iodine as a nutrient ingredient. If iodine is not listed on the Supplement Facts label, then it has not been added. There are similarities between the FDA, which establishes US food regulations and policies, and the Codex Alimentarius (Codex), which develops international food standards and guidelines under the aegis of the FAO and the WHO. Both the FDA and Codex call for the labeling of table salt to indicate fortification with iodine, voluntary labeling of iodine on foods, and a Daily Value (called a Nutrient Reference Value by Codex) of 150 μg for iodine. © 2016 American Society for Nutrition.

Effective management tools for participants at Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs meetings.

PubMed

Kay, Jack F

2016-05-01

The Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Food (CCRVDF) fulfils a number of functions revolving around standard setting. The core activities of the CCRVDF include agreeing priorities for assessing veterinary drug residues, recommending maximum residue limits for veterinary drugs in foods of animal origin, considering methods of sampling and analyses, and developing codes of practice. Draft standards are developed and progress through an agreed series of steps common to all Codex Alimentarius Commission Committees. Meetings of the CCRVDF are held at approximately 18-month intervals. To ensure effective progress is made with meetings at this frequency, the CCRVDF makes use of a number of management tools. These include circular letters to interested parties, physical and electronic drafting groups between plenary sessions, meetings of interested parties immediately prior to sessions, as well as break out groups within sessions and detailed discussions within the CCRVDF plenary sessions. A range of these approaches is required to assist advances within the standards setting process and can be applied to other Codex areas and international standard setting more generally. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

International Harmonization of Food Safety Assessment of Pesticide Residues.

PubMed

Ambrus, Árpád

2016-01-13

This paper summarizes the development of principles and methods applied within the program of the FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius during the past 50 years for the safety assessment of pesticide residues in food and feed and establishing maximum residue limits (MRLs) to promote free international trade and assure the safety of consumers. The role of major international organizations in this process, the FAO capacity building activities, and some problematic areas that require special attention are briefly described.

Beta agonists in livestock feed: status, health concerns, and international trade.

PubMed

Centner, T J; Alvey, J C; Stelzleni, A M

2014-09-01

Since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved ractopamine hydrochloride and zilpaterol hydrochloride in animal feeds, usage of those compounds has been a topic of worldwide debate. Ractopamine and zilpaterol are β-adrenergic agonists used as veterinary drugs to increase weight gain in certain animals raised for food. The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) established maximum residue limits for ractopamine, which were adopted by the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex). No maximum residue limits for zilpaterol have been adopted by JECFA, and new reports of animal mobility issues confront the use of this feed additive. However, many countries disagree with the Codex standards and are restricting or banning meat products containing β agonists. The bans by major importers of U.S. meat products have prompted some to advocate that the United States use the World Trade Organization dispute settlement body. This paper looks at the developments to provide a fuller accounting of what the issues may mean to U.S. firms selling meat products containing residues of β agonists.

The role of validated analytical methods in JECFA drug assessments and evaluation for recommending MRLs.

PubMed

Boison, Joe O

2016-05-01

The Joint Food and Agriculture Organization and World Health Organization (FAO/WHO) Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) is one of three Codex committees tasked with applying risk analysis and relying on independent scientific advice provided by expert bodies organized by FAO/WHO when developing standards. While not officially part of the Codex Alimentarius Commission structure, JECFA provides independent scientific advice to the Commission and its specialist committees such as the Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods (CCRVDF) in setting maximum residue limits (MRLs) for veterinary drugs. Codex methods of analysis (Types I, II, III, and IV) are defined in the Codex Procedural Manual as are criteria to be used for selecting methods of analysis. However, if a method is to be used under a single laboratory condition to support regulatory work, it must be validated according to an internationally recognized protocol and the use of the method must be embedded in a quality assurance system in compliance with ISO/IEC 17025:2005. This paper examines the attributes of the methods used to generate residue depletion data for drug registration and/or licensing and for supporting regulatory enforcement initiatives that experts consider to be useful and appropriate in their assessment of methods of analysis. Copyright © 2016 Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada. Drug Testing and Analysis © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. © 2016 Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada. Drug Testing and Analysis © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A risk assessment approach for fresh fruits.

PubMed

Bassett, J; McClure, P

2008-04-01

To describe the approach used in conducting a fit-for-purpose risk assessment of microbiological human pathogens associated with fresh fruit and the risk management recommendations made. A qualitative risk assessment for microbiological hazards in fresh fruit was carried out based on the Codex Alimentarius (Codex) framework, modified to consider multiple hazards and all fresh (whole) fruits. The assessment determines 14 significant bacterial, viral, protozoal and nematodal hazards associated with fresh produce, assesses the probable level of exposure from fresh fruit, concludes on the risk from each hazard, and considers and recommends risk management actions. A review of potential risk management options allowed the comparison of effectiveness with the potential exposure to each hazard. Washing to a recommended protocol is an appropriate risk management action for the vast majority of consumption events, particularly when good agricultural and hygienic practices are followed and with the addition of refrigerated storage for low acid fruit. Additional safeguards are recommended for aggregate fruits with respect to the risk from protozoa. The potentially complex process of assessing the risks of multiple hazards in multiple but similar commodities can be simplified in a qualitative assessment approach that employs the Codex methodology.

Occurrence of antimicrobial residues in Brazilian food animals in 2008 and 2009.

PubMed

Nonaka, C K V; Oliveira, A M G; Paiva, C R; Almeida, M P; Rezende, C P; Moraes, C G O; Botelho, B G; Souza, L F; Dias, P G

2012-01-01

Brazil is one of the most important countries as a producer and exporter of cattle and poultry. In 2009 cattle accounted for 30% of the export market and 41.4% for poultry meat. The Brazilian National Residues and Contaminants Control Plan (PNCRC) follows the guidelines set by the Codex Alimentarius Commission and checks compliance maximum residue limits (MRLs) to ensure the quality of these commodities. Kidney samples (n = 2978) were analysed between January 2008 and December 2009. Fifteen antibiotics of the macrolide and aminoglycoside groups (clindamycin, eritromycin, lincomycin, tylmicosin, tylosin, amikacin, apramycin, dihydrostreptomycin, gentamycin, higromycin, kanamycin, neomycin, spectinomycin, streptomycin, tobramycin) were determined by a microbiological screening method (FAST) and confirmed/quantified using liquid chromatography (LC-MS/MS and UPLC-MS/MS). In 2008, 1459 samples were analysed by a screening test and liquid chromatography with only one sample (0.07%) exceeded Brazilian legislation limits (>MRL). In 2009, 1519 samples were analysed and none exceeding Brazilian legislation limits (>MRL). The slaughterhouses of 16 states were monitored during the year of 2008, and 18 states were monitored in 2009, being the major producing states most sampled by the PNCRC.

Improvement of the safety of the red pepper spice with FMEA and post processing EWMA quality control charts.

PubMed

Ozilgen, Sibel; Bucak, Seyda; Ozilgen, Mustafa

2013-06-01

Although there are numerous decades-old studies drawing attention to the presence of aflatoxins in spices, and particularly in red pepper spice, the problem has not been eradicated. In the present study, information presented in the literature, about production method of red pepper spice, its contamination with aflatoxin, and the uncertainty about the data are assessed to find out the points where improvement may be achieved. Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA) are performed to assess the risk. The highest total risk attributable to chemical plus physical plus biological causes is associated with the washing stage (RPN=363), which is followed by the receiving (RPN=342) and the storage (RPN=342) stages. The highest risk attributable to biological causes (RPN=180) is associated with microbial growth and aflatoxin production due to insufficient control of drying conditions. The highest chemical risk (RPN=144) is found for the presence of unintentional food additives, such as pesticides, herbicides, hormones, and heavy metals in fresh red pepper fruits. EWMA (exponentially weighted average) charts are employed to monitor aflatoxin production during storage. They successfully distinguished between the batches, which turned to be unsafe. Risk associated with unintentional additives may be reduced by using certified additives only. Better drying control will definitely reduce the risk associated with the drying process. Codex Alimentarius plan has worldwide acceptance for assessing safety of the nuts. Risk of accepting the batches contaminated with aflatoxin may be eliminated by applying the Codex Alimentarius sampling plan before putting the dry pulverized red pepper into the storage facility.

CODEX-aligned dietary fiber definitions help to bridge the ‘fiber gap’

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

A comprehensive dietary fiber (DF) definition was adopted by the CODEX Alimentarius Commission (CAC) (1) to reflect the current state of knowledge about DF, (2) to recognize that all substances that behave like fiber regardless of how they are produced can be named as DF if they show physiological benefits, and (3) to promote international harmonization for food labeling and food composition tables. This review gives the history and evolution of the state of DF knowledge as looked at by refinements in DF methods and definitions subsequent to the launch of the DF hypothesis. The refinements parallel both interventional and epidemiological research leading to better understanding of the role of DF in contributing to the numerous physiological benefits imparted by all the various digestion resistant carbohydrates. A comparison of the CODEX definition (including its footnote that authorizes the inclusion of polymers with DP 3–9) and approved CODEX Type 1 methods with other existing definitions and methods will point out differences and emphasize the importance of adoption of CODEX-aligned definitions by all jurisdictions. Such harmonization enables comparison of nutrition research, recommendations, food composition tables and nutrition labels the world over. A case will be made that fibers are analogous to vitamins, in that they vary in structure, function and amount needed, but each when present in the right amount contributes to optimal health. Since the intake of DF is significantly below recommended levels throughout the world, the recognition that ‘all fibers fit’ is an important strategy in bridging the ‘fiber gap’ by enfranchising and encouraging greater intake of foods with inherent and added DF. Fortifying foods with added DF makes it easier to increase intakes while maintaining calories at recommended levels. PMID:24725724

CODEX-aligned dietary fiber definitions help to bridge the 'fiber gap'.

PubMed

Jones, Julie Miller

2014-04-12

A comprehensive dietary fiber (DF) definition was adopted by the CODEX Alimentarius Commission (CAC) (1) to reflect the current state of knowledge about DF, (2) to recognize that all substances that behave like fiber regardless of how they are produced can be named as DF if they show physiological benefits, and (3) to promote international harmonization for food labeling and food composition tables. This review gives the history and evolution of the state of DF knowledge as looked at by refinements in DF methods and definitions subsequent to the launch of the DF hypothesis. The refinements parallel both interventional and epidemiological research leading to better understanding of the role of DF in contributing to the numerous physiological benefits imparted by all the various digestion resistant carbohydrates. A comparison of the CODEX definition (including its footnote that authorizes the inclusion of polymers with DP 3-9) and approved CODEX Type 1 methods with other existing definitions and methods will point out differences and emphasize the importance of adoption of CODEX-aligned definitions by all jurisdictions. Such harmonization enables comparison of nutrition research, recommendations, food composition tables and nutrition labels the world over. A case will be made that fibers are analogous to vitamins, in that they vary in structure, function and amount needed, but each when present in the right amount contributes to optimal health. Since the intake of DF is significantly below recommended levels throughout the world, the recognition that 'all fibers fit' is an important strategy in bridging the 'fiber gap' by enfranchising and encouraging greater intake of foods with inherent and added DF. Fortifying foods with added DF makes it easier to increase intakes while maintaining calories at recommended levels.

Civil Society Organizations and the Functions of Global Health Governance: What Role within Intergovernmental Organizations?

PubMed Central

Lee, Kelley

2016-01-01

Amid discussion of how global health governance should and could be strengthened, the potential role of civil society organizations has been frequently raised. This paper considers the role of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in four health governance instruments under the auspices of the World Health Organization – the International Code on the Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes, Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, International Health Regulations and Codex Alimentarius - and maps the functions they have contributed to. The paper draws conclusions about the opportunities and limitations CSOs represent for strengthening global health governance (GHG). PMID:27274776

Does science speak clearly and fairly in trade and food safety disputes? The search for an optimal response of WTO adjudication to problematic international standard-making.

PubMed

Ni, Kuei-Jung

2013-01-01

Most international health-related standards are voluntary per se. However, the incorporation of international standard-making into WTO agreements like the SPS Agreement has drastically changed the status and effectiveness of the standards. WTO members are urged to follow international standards, even when not required to comply fully with them. Indeed, such standards have attained great influence in the trade system. Yet evidence shows that the credibility of the allegedly scientific approach of these international standard-setting institutions, especially the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex) governing food safety standards, has been eroded and diluted by industrial and political influences. Its decision-making is no longer based on consensus, but voting. The adoption of new safety limits for the veterinary drug ractopamine in 2012, by a very close vote, is simply another instance of the problematic operations of the Codex. These dynamics have led skeptics to question the legitimacy of the standard setting body and to propose solutions to rectify the situation. Prior WTO rulings have yet to pay attention to the defect in the decision-making processes of the Codex. Nevertheless, the recent Appellate Body decision on Hormones II is indicative of a deferential approach to national measures that are distinct from Codex formulas. The ruling also rejects the reliance on those experts who authored the Codex standards to assess new measures of the European Community. This approach provides an opportunity to contemplate what the proper relationship between the WTO and Codex ought to be. Through a critical review of WTO rulings and academic proposals, this article aims to analyze how the WTO ought to define such interactions and respond to the politicized standard-making process in an optimal manner. This article argues that building a more systematic approach and normative basis for WTO judicial review of standard-setting decisions and the selection of technical experts would be instrumental to strengthening the mutual supports between the WTO and international standard-setting organizations, and may help avoid the introduction of a prejudice toward a justified science finding.

The role of the World Trade Organization and the 'three sisters' (the World Organisation for Animal Health, the International Plant Protection Convention and the Codex Alimentarius Commission) in the control of invasive alien species and the preservation of biodiversity.

PubMed

Kahn, S; Pelgrim, W

2010-08-01

The missions of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) include the design of surveillance and control methods for infectious transboundary animal diseases (including zoonoses), the provision of guarantees concerning animal health and animal production food safety, and the setting of standards for, and promotion of, animal welfare. The OIE role in setting standards for the sanitary safety of international trade in animals and animal products is formally recognised in the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (the SPS Agreement). While the primary focus of the OIE is on animal diseases and zoonoses, the OIE has also been working within the WTO framework to examine possible contributions the organisation can make to achieving the goals of the Convention on Biological Diversity, particularly to preventing the global spread of invasive alien species (IAS). However, at the present time, setting standards for invasive species (other than those connected to the cause and distribution of diseases listed by the OIE) is outside the OIE mandate. Any future expansion of the OIE mandate would need to be decided by its Members and resources (expertise and financial contributions) for an extended standard-setting work programme secured. The other international standard-setting organisations referenced by the SPS Agreement are the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) and the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC). The IPPC mandate and work programme address IAS and the protection of biodiversity. The CAC is not involved in this field.

Microbiological risk assessment for personal care products.

PubMed

Stewart, S E; Parker, M D; Amézquita, A; Pitt, T L

2016-12-01

Regulatory decisions regarding microbiological safety of cosmetics and personal care products are primarily hazard-based, where the presence of a potential pathogen determines decision-making. This contrasts with the Food industry where it is a commonplace to use a risk-based approach for ensuring microbiological safety. A risk-based approach allows consideration of the degree of exposure to assess unacceptable health risks. As there can be a number of advantages in using a risk-based approach to safety, this study explores the Codex Alimentarius (Codex) four-step Microbiological Risk Assessment (MRA) framework frequently used in the Food industry and examines how it can be applied to the safety assessment of personal care products. The hazard identification and hazard characterization steps (one and two) of the Codex MRA framework consider the main microorganisms of concern. These are addressed by reviewing the current industry guidelines for objectionable organisms and analysing reports of contaminated products notified by government agencies over a recent 5-year period, together with examples of reported outbreaks. Data related to estimation of exposure (step three) are discussed, and examples of possible calculations and references are included. The fourth step, performed by the risk assessor (risk characterization), is specific to each assessment and brings together the information from the first three steps to assess the risk. Although there are very few documented uses of the MRA approach for personal care products, this study illustrates that it is a practicable and sound approach for producing products that are safe by design. It can be helpful in the context of designing products and processes going to market and with setting of microbiological specifications. Additionally, it can be applied reactively to facilitate decision-making when contaminated products are released on to the marketplace. Currently, the knowledge available may only allow a qualitative or semi-quantitative rather than fully quantitative risk assessment, but an added benefit is that the disciplined structuring of available knowledge enables clear identification of gaps to target resources and if appropriate, instigate data generation. © 2016 Society of Cosmetic Scientists and the Société Française de Cosmétologie.

[Powdered infant formulae preparation guide for hospitals based on Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) principles].

PubMed

Vargas-Leguás, H; Rodríguez Garrido, V; Lorite Cuenca, R; Pérez-Portabella, C; Redecillas Ferreiro, S; Campins Martí, M

2009-06-01

This guide for the preparation of powdered infant formulae in hospital environments is a collaborative work between several hospital services and is based on national and European regulations, international experts meetings and the recommendations of scientific societies. This guide also uses the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point principles proposed by Codex Alimentarius and emphasises effective verifying measures, microbiological controls of the process and the corrective actions when monitoring indicates that a critical control point is not under control. It is a dynamic guide and specifies the evaluation procedures that allow it to be constantly adapted.

Assessing the Relative Influence and Efficacy of Public and Private Food Safety Regulation Regimes: Comparing Codex and Global G.A.P. Standards.

PubMed

Halabi, Sam F; Lin, Ching-Fu

An extensive global system of private food regulation is under construction, one that exceeds conventional regulation thought of as being driven by public authorities like FDA and USDA in the U.S. or the Food Standards Agency in the UK. Agrifood and grocer organizations, in concert with some farming groups, have been the primary designers of this new food regulatory regime. These groups have established alliances that compete with national regulators in complex ways. This article analyzes the relationship between public and private sources of food safety regulation by examining standards adopted by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, a food safety organization jointly run by the Food and Agricultural Organization and the World Health Organization and GlobalG.A.P., a farm assurance program created in the late 1990s by supermarket chains and their major suppliers which has now expanded into a global certifying coalition. While Codex standards are adopted, often as written, by national food safety regulators who are principal drivers of the standard setting process, customers for agricultural products in many countries now demand evidence of GlobalG.A.P. certification as a prerequisite for doing business This article tests not only the durability and strength of private sector standard setting in the food safety system, but also the desirability of that system as an alternative to formal, governmental processes embodied, for our purposes, in the standards adopted by Codex. In many cases, official standards and GlobalG.A.P. standards clash in ways that implicate not only food safety but the flow of agricultural products in the global trading system. The article analyzes current weaknesses in both regimes and possibilities for change that will better reconcile the two competing systems.

[Incorporation of the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point system (HACCP) in food legislation].

PubMed

Castellanos Rey, Liliana C; Villamil Jiménez, Luis C; Romero Prada, Jaime R

2004-01-01

The Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point system (HACCP), recommended by different international organizations as the Codex Alimentarius Commission, the World Trade Organization (WTO), the International Office of Epizootics (OIE) and the International Convention for Vegetables Protection (ICPV) amongst others, contributes to ensuring the innocuity of food along the agro-alimentary chain and requires of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) for its implementation, GMP's which are legislated in most countries. Since 1997, Colombia has set rules and legislation for application of HACCP system in agreement with international standards. This paper discusses the potential and difficulties of the legislation enforcement and suggests some policy implications towards food safety.

[Determination of alpha-gliadin content in gluten-containing and gluten-free heated food].

PubMed

Meier, P; Windemann, H; Baumgartner, E

1984-05-01

The amount of alpha-gliadin and whole gliadin in bread dough after heating at temperatures of 50-100 degrees C was determined by ELISA. At temperatures above 80 degrees C the amount which could be found was greatly reduced. In pasta foods containing wheat (with a max. drying temperature of 75 degrees C) alpha-gliadin could be determined totally but in wheat bread (crust and crumb) only 0.5-40% of the content in the original flour was found. The results of an analysis of "gluten-free" pasta foods on the market and the amounts of alpha-gliadin found are discussed in relation to the recommendations of the Codex alimentarius (WHO).

Performing IgE serum testing due to bioinformatics matches in the allergenicity assessment of GM crops.

PubMed

Goodman, Richard E

2008-10-01

Proteins introduced into genetically modified (GM) organisms through genetic engineering must be evaluated for their potential to cause allergic disease under various national laws and regulations. The Codex Alimentarius Commission guidance document (2003) calls for testing of serum IgE binding to the introduced protein if the gene was from an allergenic source, or the sequence of the transferred protein has >35% identity in any segment of 80 or more amino acids to a known allergen or shares significant short amino acid identities. The Codex guidance recognized that the assessment will evolve based on new scientific knowledge. Arguably, the current criteria are too conservative as discussed in this paper and they do not provide practical guidance on serum testing. The goals of this paper are: (1) to summarize evidence supporting the level of identity that indicates potential risk of cross-reactivity for those with existing allergies; (2) to provide example bioinformatics results and discuss their interpretation using published examples of proteins expressed in transgenic crops; and (3) to discuss key factors of experimental design and methodology for serum IgE tests to minimize the rate of false negative and false positive identification of potential allergens and cross-reactive proteins.

Harmonisation of food labelling regulations in Southeast Asia: benefits, challenges and implications.

PubMed

Kasapila, William; Shaarani, Sharifudin Md

2011-01-01

In the globalised world of the 21st century, issues of food and nutrition labelling are of pre-eminent importance. Several international bodies, including the World Health Organisation and World Trade Organisation, are encouraging countries to harmonise their food and nutrition regulations with international standards, guidelines and recommendations such as those for Codex Alimentarius. Through harmonisation, these organisations envisage fewer barriers to trade and freer movement of food products between countries, which would open doors to new markets and opportunities for the food industry. In turn, increased food trade would enhance economic development and allow consumers a greater choice of products. Inevitably, however, embracing harmonisation brings along cost implications and challenges that have to be overcome. Moreover, the harmonisation process is complex and sporadic in light of the tasks that countries have to undertake; for example, updating legislation, strengthening administrative capabilities and establishing analytical laboratories. This review discusses the legislation and regulations that govern food and nutrition labelling in Southeast Asia, and highlights the discrepancies that exist in this regard, their origin and consequences. It also gives an account of the current status of harmonising labelling of pre-packaged foodstuffs in the region and explains the subsequent benefits, challenges and implications for governments, the food industry and consumers.

Natural and anthropogenic radionuclide activity concentrations in the New Zealand diet.

PubMed

Pearson, Andrew J; Gaw, Sally; Hermanspahn, Nikolaus; Glover, Chris N

2016-01-01

To support New Zealand's food safety monitoring regime, a survey was undertaken to establish radionuclide activity concentrations across the New Zealand diet. This survey was undertaken to better understand the radioactivity content of the modern diet and also to assess the suitability of the current use of milk as a sentinel for dietary radionuclide trends. Thirteen radionuclides were analysed in 40 common food commodities, including animal products, fruits, vegetables, cereal grains and seafood. Activity was detected for (137)Caesium, (90)Strontium and (131)Iodine. No other anthropogenic radionuclides were detected. Activity concentrations of the three natural radionuclides of Uranium and the daughter radionuclide (210)Polonium were detected in the majority of food sampled, with a large variation in magnitude. The maximum activity concentrations were detected in shellfish for all these radionuclides. Based on the established activity concentrations and ranges, the New Zealand diet contains activity concentrations of anthropogenic radionuclides far below the Codex Alimentarius guideline levels. Activity concentrations obtained for milk support its continued use as a sentinel for monitoring fallout radionuclides in terrestrial agriculture. The significant levels of natural and anthropogenic radionuclide activity concentrations detected in finfish and molluscs support undertaking further research to identify a suitable sentinel for New Zealand seafood monitoring. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Allergen labelling in meat, dairy and cereal products from the Serbian market

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spirić, D.; Nikolić, D.; Ćirić, J.; Janković, S.; Stefanović, S.; Janković, V.; Teodorović, V.

2017-09-01

Allergens in food are a great health risk, because of the ratio of severity of problems compared to small amounts of ingested allergen. Since 2014, Serbian producers and importers of food have been obliged to declare allergens from the list of Codex Alimentarius on the product packaging. Surveillance of different meat, diary, and cereal product took place in 2016, with aim of checking if the Serbian regulatory requirements for labelling of allergens in food are being fulfilled. Out of 68 different meat products, 20 were not labelled for allergens. Thirty-six labels of various dairy products were examined revealing that allergen information was included on 27 of them. Only one of eight examined cereal products did not have allergen labelling.

Current status of nutrition labelling and claims in the South-East Asian region: are we in harmony?

PubMed

Tee, E-Siong; Tamin, Suryani; Ilyas, Rosmulyati; Ramos, Adelisa; Tan, Wei-Ling; Lai, Darwin Kah-Soon; Kongchuntuk, Hataya

2002-01-01

This review includes the situation of nutrition labelling and claims in six countries in South-East Asia: Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. With the exception of Malaysia, there is no mandatory nutrition labelling requirements for foods in these countries except for special categories of foods and when nutritional claims are made for fortified or enriched foods. Nevertheless, several food manufacturers, especially multinationals, do voluntarily label the nutritional content of a number of food products. There is, therefore, increasing interest among authorities in countries in the region to start formulating regulations for nutrition labelling for a wider variety of foods. Malaysia has proposed new regulations to make it mandatory to label a number of foodstuffs with the four core nutrients, protein, carbohydrate, fat and energy. Other countries have preferred to start with voluntary labelling by the manufacturers, but have spelt out the requirements for this voluntary labelling. The format and requirements for nutrition labelling differ widely for countries in the region. Some countries, such as Malaysia, closely follow the Codex guidelines on nutrition labelling in terms of format, components to be included and mode of expression. Other countries, such as the Philippines and Thailand, have drafted nutrition labelling regulations very similar to those of the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA) of the United States. Nutrition and health claims are also not specifically permitted under food regulations that were enacted before 1998. However, various food products on the market have been carrying a variety of nutrition and health claims. There is concern that without proper regulations, the food industry may not be certain as to what claims can be made. Excessive and misleading claims made by irresponsible manufacturers would only serve to confuse and mislead the consumer. In recent years, there has been efforts in countries in the region to enact regulations on nutrition claims. Recently enacted regulations or amendments to existing regulations of almost all the countries reviewed have included provisions for nutrition claims. Malaysia is in the process of gazetting regulations to clearly stipulate the permitted nutrition claims and the conditions required to make these claims along the guidelines of Codex Alimentarius Commission. Only two countries in the region permit health claims to be made - Indonesia and Philippines. Other countries in the region are following developments in Codex and examining the need for allowing these claims. There are more differences than similarities in the regulations on nutrition labelling and claims among countries in the South-East Asian region as no previous efforts have been made to address these. Hopefully, through this first regional meeting, countries can initiate closer interaction, with a view to working towards greater harmonization of nutrition labelling and health claims in the region.

Establishment of microbiological safety criteria for foods in international trade. International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Foods.

PubMed

1997-01-01

Microbiological safety is achieved by applying good hygienic practices throughout the food chain, "from farm to fork". Governmental food control is traditionally based on inspection of the facilities where foods are handled, and on testing food samples. Testing is usually applied to imported foods, when no information concerning the safety of a consignment is available. The microbiological safety is judged by means of microbiological criteria. Such criteria should, in the context of the WTO/SPS measures, be scientifically justified, and established according to the principles described by the Codex Alimentarius. However, microbiological testing is not a very reliable tool for consumer protection; the emphasis is currently shifting to the application of food safety management tools such as the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point system (HACCP).

Gluten contamination in gluten-free bakery products: a risk for coeliac disease patients.

PubMed

Farage, Priscila; de Medeiros Nóbrega, Yanna Karla; Pratesi, Riccardo; Gandolfi, Lenora; Assunção, Pedro; Zandonadi, Renata Puppin

2017-02-01

The present study aimed to assess the safety of gluten-free bakery products for consumption by coeliac patients. Design/setting In the current exploratory cross-sectional quantitative study, a total of 130 samples were collected from twenty-five bakeries in Brasilia (Brazil). For the quantification of gluten, an ELISA was used. The threshold of 20 ppm gluten was considered as the safe upper limit for gluten-free food, as proposed in the Codex Alimentarius. The results revealed a total of 21·5 % of contamination among the bakery products sampled. Sixty-four per cent of the bakeries sold at least one contaminated product in our sample. These findings represent a risk for coeliac patients since the ingestion of gluten traces may be sufficient to adversely impact on their health.

Inactivation of Mycobacterium bovis ssp. caprae in high-temperature, short-term pasteurized pilot-plant milk.

PubMed

Hammer, P; Richter, E; Rüsch-Gerdes, S; Walte, H-G C; Matzen, S; Kiesner, C

2015-03-01

Experiments to determine the efficacy of high temperature, short time (HTST) pasteurization of milk in terms of inactivation of pathogenic microorganisms were mainly performed between 1930 and 1960. Among the target organisms were Mycobacterium bovis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. As a result, the Codex Alimentarius prescribes that HTST treatment of milk should lead to a significant reduction of pathogenic microorganisms during milk pasteurization. Due to the development of improved methods for the detection of survivors and of more advanced heating technology, verification of this requirement seemed to be necessary. To address recent outbreaks of tuberculosis in cattle caused by M. bovis ssp. caprae (M. caprae) in the southern regions of Germany, this organism was tested and compared with M. bovis ssp. bovis (M. bovis). Experiments were performed in a pilot plant for HTST pasteurization of milk with 3 strains of M. caprae and 1 strain of M. bovis. In preliminary trials at a fixed holding time of 25 s, the temperature at which significant inactivation occurred was 62.5°C for all strains. To determine D-values (decimal reduction times) for the inactivation kinetics, the strains were tested at 65, 62.5, and 60°C at holding times of 16.5, 25, and 35 s. At 65°C, the D-values of all strains ranged from 6.8 to 7.8 s, and at 62.5°C, D-values ranged from 14.5 to 18.1 s. Low inactivation was observed at 60°C. When the low slope of the inactivation curve allowed calculation of a D-value, these ranged from 40.8 to 129.9 s. In terms of log10 reductions, the highest values for all strains were 4.1 to 4.9 log at 65°C, with a holding time of 35 s. The tested strains of M. caprae and M. bovis showed similar low resistance to heat. Standard HTST treatment should result in a high reduction of these organisms and thus the requirements of the Codex Alimentarius for inactivation of pathogens by this process are far exceeded. Copyright © 2015 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The challenge of defining risk-based metrics to improve food safety: inputs from the BASELINE project.

PubMed

Manfreda, Gerardo; De Cesare, Alessandra

2014-08-01

In 2002, the Regulation (EC) 178 of the European Parliament and of the Council states that, in order to achieve the general objective of a high level of protection of human health and life, food law shall be based on risk analysis. However, the Commission Regulation No 2073/2005 on microbiological criteria for foodstuffs requires that food business operators ensure that foodstuffs comply with the relevant microbiological criteria. Such criteria define the acceptability of a product, a batch of foodstuffs or a process, based on the absence, presence or number of micro-organisms, and/or on the quantity of their toxins/metabolites, per unit(s) of mass, volume, area or batch. The same Regulation describes a food safety criterion as a mean to define the acceptability of a product or a batch of foodstuff applicable to products placed on the market; moreover, it states a process hygiene criterion as a mean indicating the acceptable functioning of the production process. Both food safety criteria and process hygiene criteria are not based on risk analysis. On the contrary, the metrics formulated by the Codex Alimentarius Commission in 2004, named Food Safety Objective (FSO) and Performance Objective (PO), are risk-based and fit the indications of Regulation 178/2002. The main aims of this review are to illustrate the key differences between microbiological criteria and the risk-based metrics defined by the Codex Alimentarius Commission and to explore the opportunity and also the possibility to implement future European Regulations including PO and FSO as supporting parameters to microbiological criteria. This review clarifies also the implications of defining an appropriate level of human protection, how to establish FSO and PO and how to implement them in practice linked to each other through quantitative risk assessment models. The contents of this review should clarify the context for application of the results collected during the EU funded project named BASELINE (www.baselineeurope.eu) as described in the papers of this special issue. Such results show how to derive POs for specific food/biological hazard combinations selected among fish, egg, dairy, meat and plant products. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Honey: Chemical composition, stability and authenticity.

PubMed

da Silva, Priscila Missio; Gauche, Cony; Gonzaga, Luciano Valdemiro; Costa, Ana Carolina Oliveira; Fett, Roseane

2016-04-01

The aim of this review is to describe the chemical characteristics of compounds present in honey, their stability when heated or stored for long periods of time and the parameters of identity and quality. Therefore, the chemical characteristics of these compounds were examined, such as sugars, proteins, amino acids, enzymes, organic acids, vitamins, minerals, phenolic and volatile compounds present in honey. The stability of these compounds in relation to the chemical reactions that occur by heating or prolonged storage were also discussed, with increased understanding of the behavior regarding the common processing of honey that may compromise its quality. In addition, the identity and quality standards were described, such as sugars, moisture, acidity, ash and electrical conductivity, color, 5-HMF and diastase activity, along with the minimum and maximum limits established by the Codex Alimentarius. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Organochlorine pesticide residues in bovine milk from organic farms in Chiapas, Mexico.

PubMed

Gutiérrez, Rey; Ruíz, Jorge Luis; Ortiz, Rutilio; Vega, Salvador; Schettino, Beatriz; Yamazaki, Alberto; de Lourdes Ramírez, María

2012-10-01

Thirty six samples of bovine milk were collected from Chiapas State, Mexico between January 2011 and December 2011 with the intention of identifying and quantifying organochlorine pesticide residues in organic farms. The analyses were done using gas chromatography with an electron capture detector (Ni(63)). In general the values found in raw milk were lower than the permissible limit proposed by FAO/WHO/Codex Alimentarius 2006. Average concentrations for alpha + beta HCH were 3.62 ng/g, gamma HCH 0.34 ng/g, heptachlor + epoxide 0.67 ng/g, DDT and isomers 1.53 ng/g, aldrin + dieldrin 0.77 ng/g, and endrin 0.66 ng/g (only present in samples from farm 2). The organic milk from Chiapas has shown low concentrations of pesticide residues in recent years and satisfies international and national regulations for commercialization.

Regulatory environment and claims - limits and opportunities.

PubMed

Martin, Ambroise

2010-01-01

During the past decade, the use of claims became more and more important in many countries in relation to the increased awareness of consumer about the link between foods and health, offering to industry a valuable opportunity to differentiate and valorize their products and to promote innovation. However, more and more stringent regulations are developed, all based on the general principles adopted by the Codex Alimentarius Commission. In addition to the different regulatory processes and administrative requirements according to the country, the high level (and cost) of scientific substantiation of claims, the constraints introduced by nutrient profiles and the poor knowledge of the impact on consumer depending on the cultural contexts may limit these opportunities or, at least complicate their use. All these issues are briefly analyzed, highlighting some striking convergences and differences between countries. Copyright © 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Use of microbiological indicators for assessing hygiene controls for the manufacture of powdered infant formula.

PubMed

Buchanan, Robert L; Oni, Ruth

2012-05-01

Microbiological testing for various indicator microorganisms is used extensively as a means of verifying the effectiveness of efforts to ensure the microbiological quality and safety of a wide variety of foods. However, for each use of an indicator organism the underlying scientific assumptions related to the behavior of the target microorganism, the characteristics of the food matrix, the details of the food manufacturing processes, environment, and distribution system, and the methodological basis for the assay must be evaluated to determine the validity, utility, and efficacy of potential microbiological indicator tests. The recent adoption by the Codex Alimentarius Commission of microbiological criteria for powdered infant formulae and related products provides an excellent example of an evidence-based approach for the establishment of consensus microbiological criteria. The present article reviews these criteria and those of various national governments in relation to emerging principles for the evidence-based establishment of effective indicator organisms.

Survey on the pesticide residues in tea in south India.

PubMed

Seenivasan, Subbiah; Muraleedharan, NarayananNair

2011-05-01

Tea is considered as a 'health beverage' due its antioxidant properties and resultant beneficial effects on human health. Such a beverage should be free from toxic elements such as pesticide residues and heavy metals. A large scale survey of teas produced in the tea factories of south India had been carried out for a period of three years from 2006 to 2008 and 912 tea samples were analysed for the residues of certain pesticides such as dicofol, ethion, quinalphos, hexaconazole, fenpropathrin, fenvalerate and propargite which are used for pest and disease control in tea in this part of the country. The analytical data proved that only less than 0.5 percentage of tea samples had residues of these pesticides. However, residues of pesticides were below their maximum limits in tea, stipulated by the European Union, Codex Alimentarius Commission of FAO/WHO and Prevention of Food Adulteration Act of Govt. of India.

Creep test observation of viscoelastic failure of edible fats

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vithanage, C. R.; Grimson, M. J.; Smith, B. G.; Wills, P. R.

2011-03-01

A rheological creep test was used to investigate the viscoelastic failure of five edible fats. Butter, spreadable blend and spread were selected as edible fats because they belong to three different groups according to the Codex Alimentarius. Creep curves were analysed according to the Burger model. Results were fitted to a Weibull distribution representing the strain-dependent lifetime of putative fibres in the material. The Weibull shape and scale (lifetime) parameters were estimated for each substance. A comparison of the rheometric measurements of edible fats demonstrated a clear difference between the three different groups. Taken together the results indicate that butter has a lower threshold for mechanical failure than spreadable blend and spread. The observed behaviour of edible fats can be interpreted using a model in which there are two types of bonds between fat crystals; primary bonds that are strong and break irreversibly, and secondary bonds, which are weaker but break and reform reversibly.

Dissipation and residue of azoxystrobin in banana under field condition.

PubMed

Wang, Siwei; Sun, Haibin; Liu, Yanping

2013-09-01

A method was developed for determining azoxystrobin in banana and cultivation soil using gas chromatography. The dissipation and residue of azoxystrobin in banana fields at GAP conditions were investigated. The average recoveries ranged from 80.3 to 96.0 % with relative standard deviations of 2.9 to 7.2 % at three different spiking levels for each matrix. The results indicated that the half-life of azoxystrobin in bananas and soil ranged from 7.5 to 13.5 days in Guangdong and from 8.7 to 12.7 days in Fujian. The dissipation rates of azoxystrobin in banana and soil were almost the same. Terminal residues in banana and banana flesh (0.01 mg/kg) were all below the maximum residue limit (2 mg/kg by Codex Alimentarius Commission and China). The results demonstrated that the safety of using azoxystrobin at the recommended agriculture dosage to protect bananas from diseases.

Assessment of Dithiocarbamate Residues on Tomatoes Conventionally Grown in Uganda and the Effect of Simple Washing to Reduce Exposure Risk to Consumers.

PubMed

Atuhaire, Aggrey; Kaye, Emmanuel; Mutambuze, Innocent Louis; Matthews, Graham; Friedrich, Theodor; Jørs, Erik

2017-01-01

Pesticide misuse by farmers poses health risks to consumers. This study assessed the level of dithiocarbamate residues in tomatoes acquired from 20 farmers and 25 market vendors in Wakiso District, how simple washing affects these residues, and the potential chronic health risk for Ugandans eating such tomatoes. Results revealed that mancozeb was the only reported dithiocarbamate, and 47.4% and 14% of farm and market samples, respectively, had dithiocarbamate residues exceeding the Codex alimentarius maximum residue limit of 2 mgCS 2 /kg. Mixing concentration had a positive significant effect on dithiocarbamate residue levels ( P = 0.004). Washing reduced dithiocarbamate residues by a factor of 0.3. Dietary risk assessment revealed no chronic health risk to both children and general population when a national daily per capita consumption of 1.0 g is considered. This study recommends comprehensive research into Uganda's food production and consumption patterns and establishment of a national pesticide residue surveillance program.

Application of laws, policies, and guidance from the United States and Canada to the regulation of food and feed derived from genetically modified crops: interpretation of composition data.

PubMed

Price, William D; Underhill, Lynne

2013-09-04

With the development of recombinant DNA techniques for genetically modifying plants to exhibit beneficial traits, laws and regulations were adopted to ensure the safety of food and feed derived from such plants. This paper focuses on the regulation of genetically modified (GM) plants in Canada and the United States, with emphasis on the results of the compositional analysis routinely utilized as an indicator of possible unintended effects resulting from genetic modification. This work discusses the mandate of Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency as well as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's approach to regulating food and feed derived from GM plants. This work also addresses how publications by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and Codex Alimentarius fit, particularly with defining the importance and purpose of compositional analysis. The importance of study design, selection of comparators, use of literature, and commercial variety reference values is also discussed.

Foliar Desiccators Glyphosate, Carfentrazone, and Paraquat Affect the Technological and Chemical Properties of Cowpea Grains.

PubMed

Lindemann, Igor da Silva; Lang, Gustavo Heinrich; Hoffmann, Jessica Fernanda; Rombaldi, Cesar Valmor; de Oliveira, Maurício; Elias, Moacir Cardoso; Vanier, Nathan Levien

2017-08-16

The effects of the use of glyphosate (GLY), glyphosate plus carfentrazone (GLY/CAR), and paraquat (PAR) as plant desiccators on the technological and chemical properties of cowpea grains were investigated. All studied desiccants provided lower cooking time to freshly harvested cowpea. However, the coat color of PAR- and GLY/CAR-treated cowpea was reddish in comparison to the control treatment. Principal component analysis (PCA) from liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) data sets showed a clear distinction among cowpea from the different treatments. Catechin-3-glucoside and epicatechin significantly contributed for discriminating GLY-treated cowpea, while citric acid was responsible for discriminating GLY/CAR-treated cowpea. Quercetin derivative and gluconic acid were responsible for discriminating control treatment. Residual glyphosate and paraquat content was higher than the maximum limits allowed by Codex Alimentarius and the European Union Commission. Improvements in the technological and chemical properties of cowpea may not be overlapped by the risks that those desiccants exhibit when exceeding the maximum limits of tolerance in food.

Determination of the moisture content of instant noodles: interlaboratory study.

PubMed

Hakoda, Akiko; Kasama, Hirotaka; Sakaida, Kenichi; Suzuki, Tadanao; Yasui, Akemi

2006-01-01

Determination of the moisture content of instant noodles, currently under discussion by the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) requires 2 methods: one for fried noodles and the other for nonfried noodles. The method to determine the moisture content of fried noodles by drying at 105 degrees C for 2 h used in the Japanese Agricultural Standard (JAS) system of Japan can be applied to this purpose. In the present study, the JAS method for fried noodles was modified to be suitable for nonfried noodles by extending the drying time to 4 h. An interlaboratory study was conducted to evaluate interlaboratory performance statistics for these 2 methods. Ten participating laboratories each analyzed 5 test materials of fried and nonfried noodles as blind duplicates. After removal of outliers statistically, the repeatability (RSDr) and the reproducibility (RSD(R)) of these methods were 1.6-2.6 and 3.9-4.8% for fried noodles, and 0.3-1.5 and 1.3-2.9% for nonfried noodles, respectively.

A Comprehensive Review of Spirit Drink Safety Standards and Regulations from an International Perspective.

PubMed

Pang, Xiao-Na; Li, Zhao-Jie; Chen, Jing-Yu; Gao, Li-Juan; Han, Bei-Zhong

2017-03-01

Standards and regulations related to spirit drinks have been established by different countries and international organizations to ensure the safety and quality of spirits. Here, we introduce the principles of food safety and quality standards for alcoholic beverages and then compare the key indicators used in the distinct standards of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, the European Union, the People's Republic of China, the United States, Canada, and Australia. We also discuss in detail the "maximum level" of the following main contaminants of spirit drinks: methanol, higher alcohols, ethyl carbamate, hydrocyanic acid, heavy metals, mycotoxins, phthalates, and aldehydes. Furthermore, the control measures used for potential hazards are introduced. Harmonization of the current requirements based on comprehensive scope analysis and the risk assessment approach will enhance both the trade and quality of distilled spirits. This review article provides valuable information that will enable producers, traders, governments, and researchers to increase their knowledge of spirit drink safety requirements, control measures, and research trends.

Application of dietary fiber method AOAC 2011.25 in fruit and comparison with AOAC 991.43 method.

PubMed

Tobaruela, Eric de C; Santos, Aline de O; Almeida-Muradian, Ligia B de; Araujo, Elias da S; Lajolo, Franco M; Menezes, Elizabete W

2018-01-01

AOAC 2011.25 method enables the quantification of most of the dietary fiber (DF) components according to the definition proposed by Codex Alimentarius. This study aimed to compare the DF content in fruits analyzed by the AOAC 2011.25 and AOAC 991.43 methods. Plums (Prunus salicina), atemoyas (Annona x atemoya), jackfruits (Artocarpus heterophyllus), and mature coconuts (Cocos nucifera) from different Brazilian regions (3 lots/fruit) were analyzed for DF, resistant starch, and fructans contents. The AOAC 2011.25 method was evaluated for precision, accuracy, and linearity in different food matrices and carbohydrate standards. The DF contents of plums, atemoyas, and jackfruits obtained by AOAC 2011.25 was higher than those obtained by AOAC 991.43 due to the presence of fructans. The DF content of mature coconuts obtained by the same methods did not present a significant difference. The AOAC 2011.25 method is recommended for fruits with considerable fructans content because it achieves more accurate values. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessment of Dithiocarbamate Residues on Tomatoes Conventionally Grown in Uganda and the Effect of Simple Washing to Reduce Exposure Risk to Consumers

PubMed Central

Atuhaire, Aggrey; Kaye, Emmanuel; Mutambuze, Innocent Louis; Matthews, Graham; Friedrich, Theodor; Jørs, Erik

2017-01-01

Pesticide misuse by farmers poses health risks to consumers. This study assessed the level of dithiocarbamate residues in tomatoes acquired from 20 farmers and 25 market vendors in Wakiso District, how simple washing affects these residues, and the potential chronic health risk for Ugandans eating such tomatoes. Results revealed that mancozeb was the only reported dithiocarbamate, and 47.4% and 14% of farm and market samples, respectively, had dithiocarbamate residues exceeding the Codex alimentarius maximum residue limit of 2 mgCS2/kg. Mixing concentration had a positive significant effect on dithiocarbamate residue levels (P = 0.004). Washing reduced dithiocarbamate residues by a factor of 0.3. Dietary risk assessment revealed no chronic health risk to both children and general population when a national daily per capita consumption of 1.0 g is considered. This study recommends comprehensive research into Uganda’s food production and consumption patterns and establishment of a national pesticide residue surveillance program. PMID:28615952

Heavy metals in cow's milk and cheese produced in areas irrigated with waste water in Puebla, Mexico.

PubMed

Castro-González, Numa Pompilio; Calderón-Sánchez, Francisco; Castro de Jesús, Jair; Moreno-Rojas, Rafael; Tamariz-Flores, José V; Pérez-Sato, Marcos; Soní-Guillermo, Eutiquio

2018-03-01

The aim of this work was to determine Ni, Cr, Cu, Zn, Pb, and As levels in raw milk and Oaxaca and ranchero type cheeses, produced in areas irrigated with waste water from Puebla in Mexico. Milk results showed a mean Pb level of 0.03 mg kg -1 , which is above the maximum limit as set by Codex Alimentarius and the European Commission standards. For As a mean value of 0.12 mg kg -1 in milk was obtained. Mean As and Pb levels in milk were below the Mexican standard. Milk whey and ranchero cheese had mean Pb levels of 0.07 and 0.11 mg kg -1 , respectively. As was higher in Oaxaca and ranchero cheese at 0.17 and 0.16 mg kg -1 , respectively. It was concluded that cheeses made from cow's milk from areas irrigated with waste water are contaminated with Pb and As, which may represent a health risk.

Nutrition issues in Codex: health claims, nutrient reference values and WTO agreements: a conference report.

PubMed

Aggett, Peter J; Hathcock, John; Jukes, David; Richardson, David P; Calder, Philip C; Bischoff-Ferrari, Heike; Nicklas, Theresa; Mühlebach, Stefan; Kwon, Oran; Lewis, Janine; Lugard, Maurits J F; Prock, Peter

2012-03-01

Codex documents may be used as educational and consensus materials for member governments. Also, the WTO SPS Agreement recognizes Codex as the presumptive international authority on food issues. Nutrient bioavailability is a critical factor in determining the ability of nutrients to provide beneficial effects. Bioavailability also influences the quantitative dietary requirements that are the basis of nutrient intake recommendations and NRVs. Codex, EFSA and some national regulatory authorities have established guidelines or regulations that will permit several types of health claims. The scientific basis for claims has been established by the US FDA and EFSA, but not yet by Codex. Evidence-based nutrition differs from evidence-based medicine, but the differences are only recently gaining recognition. Health claims on foods may provide useful information to consumers, but many will interpret the information to mean that they can rely upon the food or nutrient to eliminate a disease risk. NRVs are designed to provide a quantitative basis for comparing the nutritive values of foods, helping to illustrate how specific foods fit into the overall diet. The INL-98 and the mean of adult male and female values provide NRVs that are sufficient when used as targets for individual intakes by most adults. WTO recognizes Codex as the primary international authority on food issues. Current regulatory schemes based on recommended dietary allowances are trade restrictive. A substantial number of decisions by the EFSA could lead to violation of WTO agreements.

Food safety in Thailand 4: comparison of pesticide residues found in three commonly consumed vegetables purchased from local markets and supermarkets in Thailand.

PubMed

Wanwimolruk, Sompon; Phopin, Kamonrat; Boonpangrak, Somchai; Prachayasittikul, Virapong

2016-01-01

The wide use of pesticides raises concerns on the health risks associated with pesticide exposure. For developing countries, like Thailand, pesticide monitoring program (in vegetables and fruits) and also the maximum residue limits (MRL) regulation have not been entirely implemented. The MRL is a product limit, not a safety limit. The MRL is the maximum concentration of a pesticide residue (expressed as mg/kg) recommended by the Codex Alimentarius Commission to be legally permitted in or on food commodities and animal feeds (Codex Alimentarius Commission, 2015; European Commission, 2015). MRLs are based on supervised residue trial data where the pesticide has been applied in accordance with GAP (Good Agricultural Practice). This study aims at providing comparison data on pesticide residues found in three commonly consumed vegetables (Chinese kale, pakchoi and morning glory) purchased from some local markets and supermarkets in Thailand. These vegetables were randomly bought from local markets and supermarkets. Then they were analyzed for the content of 28 pesticides by using GC-MS/MS. Types of pesticides detected in the samples either from local markets or supermarkets were similar. The incidence of detected pesticides was 100% (local markets) and 99% (supermarkets) for the Chinese kale; 98% (local markets) and 100% (supermarkets) for the pakchoi; and 99% (local markets) and 97% (supermarkets) for the morning glory samples. The pesticides were detected exceeding their MRL at a rate of 48% (local markets) and 35% (supermarkets) for the Chinese kale; 71% (local markets) and 55% (supermarkets) for the pakchoi, and 42% (local markets) and 49% (supermarkets) for the morning glory. These rates are much higher than those seen in developed countries. It should be noted that these findings were assessed on basis of using criteria (such as MRL) obtained from developed countries. Our findings were also confined to these vegetables sold in a few central provinces of Thailand and did not reflect for the whole country as sample sizes were small. Risk assessment due to consuming these pesticide contaminated vegetables, still remains to be evaluated. However, remarkably high incidence rates of detected pesticides give warning to the Thai authorities to implement proper regulations on pesticide monitoring program. Similar incidence of pesticide contamination found in the vegetables bought from local markets and supermarkets raises question regarding the quality of organic vegetables domestically sold in Thailand. This conclusion excludes Thai export quality vegetables and fruits routinely monitored for pesticide contamination before exporting.

Food safety in Thailand 4: comparison of pesticide residues found in three commonly consumed vegetables purchased from local markets and supermarkets in Thailand

PubMed Central

Phopin, Kamonrat; Boonpangrak, Somchai; Prachayasittikul, Virapong

2016-01-01

Background The wide use of pesticides raises concerns on the health risks associated with pesticide exposure. For developing countries, like Thailand, pesticide monitoring program (in vegetables and fruits) and also the maximum residue limits (MRL) regulation have not been entirely implemented. The MRL is a product limit, not a safety limit. The MRL is the maximum concentration of a pesticide residue (expressed as mg/kg) recommended by the Codex Alimentarius Commission to be legally permitted in or on food commodities and animal feeds (Codex Alimentarius Commission, 2015; European Commission, 2015). MRLs are based on supervised residue trial data where the pesticide has been applied in accordance with GAP (Good Agricultural Practice). This study aims at providing comparison data on pesticide residues found in three commonly consumed vegetables (Chinese kale, pakchoi and morning glory) purchased from some local markets and supermarkets in Thailand. Methods These vegetables were randomly bought from local markets and supermarkets. Then they were analyzed for the content of 28 pesticides by using GC-MS/MS. Results Types of pesticides detected in the samples either from local markets or supermarkets were similar. The incidence of detected pesticides was 100% (local markets) and 99% (supermarkets) for the Chinese kale; 98% (local markets) and 100% (supermarkets) for the pakchoi; and 99% (local markets) and 97% (supermarkets) for the morning glory samples. The pesticides were detected exceeding their MRL at a rate of 48% (local markets) and 35% (supermarkets) for the Chinese kale; 71% (local markets) and 55% (supermarkets) for the pakchoi, and 42% (local markets) and 49% (supermarkets) for the morning glory. Discussion These rates are much higher than those seen in developed countries. It should be noted that these findings were assessed on basis of using criteria (such as MRL) obtained from developed countries. Our findings were also confined to these vegetables sold in a few central provinces of Thailand and did not reflect for the whole country as sample sizes were small. Risk assessment due to consuming these pesticide contaminated vegetables, still remains to be evaluated. However, remarkably high incidence rates of detected pesticides give warning to the Thai authorities to implement proper regulations on pesticide monitoring program. Similar incidence of pesticide contamination found in the vegetables bought from local markets and supermarkets raises question regarding the quality of organic vegetables domestically sold in Thailand. This conclusion excludes Thai export quality vegetables and fruits routinely monitored for pesticide contamination before exporting. PMID:27635366

Effects of soil type and genotype on lead concentration in rootstalk vegetables and the selection of cultivars for food safety.

PubMed

Ding, Changfeng; Zhang, Taolin; Wang, Xingxiang; Zhou, Fen; Yang, Yiru; Yin, Yunlong

2013-06-15

Lead (Pb) contamination of soil poses severe health risks to humans through vegetable consumption. The variations of Pb concentration in different parts of rootstalk vegetables (radish, carrot and potato) were investigated by using twelve cultivars grown in acidic Ferralsols and neutral Cambisols under two Pb treatments (125 mg kg(-1) and 250 mg kg(-1) for Ferralsols; 150 mg kg(-1) and 300 mg kg(-1) for Cambisols) in a pot experiment. The Pb concentration in edible parts was higher in Ferralsols under two Pb treatments, with range from 0.28 to 4.14, 0.42-10.66 mg kg(-1) (fresh weight) respectively, and all of them exceeded the food safety standard (0.1 mg kg(-1)) recommended by the Codex Alimentarius Commission of FAO and WHO. The Pb concentration in edible parts was significantly affected by genotype, soil type and the interaction between these two factors. The variation of Pb concentration in different cultivars was partially governed by Pb absorption and the transfer of Pb from aerial to edible part. The results revealed that caution should be paid to the cultivation of rootstalk vegetables in Pb-contaminated Ferralsols without any agronomic management to reduce Pb availability and plant uptake. For Cambisols with slight to moderate Pb contamination, growing potato cultivar Shandong No.1 and Chongqing No.1 was effective in reducing the risk of Pb entering human food chain. The results suggest the possibility of developing cultivar- and soil-specific planting and monitoring guidelines for the cultivation of rootstalk vegetables on slight to moderate Pb-contaminated soils. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Application of a Rapid Knowledge Synthesis and Transfer Approach to Assess the Microbial Safety of Low-Moisture Foods

PubMed Central

Young, Ian; Waddell, Lisa; Cahill, Sarah; Kojima, Mina; Clarke, Renata; Rajic, Andrijana

2016-01-01

Low-moisture foods (LMF) are increasingly implicated in outbreaks of foodborne illness resulting in a significant public health burden. To inform the development of a new Codex Alimentarius code of hygienic practice for LMF, we applied a rapid knowledge synthesis and transfer approach to review global research on the burden of illness, prevalence, and interventions to control nine selected microbial hazards in eight categories of LMF. Knowledge synthesis methods included an integrated scoping review (search strategy, relevance screening and confirmation, and evidence mapping), systematic review (detailed data extraction), and meta-analysis of prevalence data. Knowledge transfer of the results was achieved through multiple reporting formats, including evidence summary cards. We identified 214 unique outbreaks and 204 prevalence and 126 intervention studies. ‘Cereals and grains’ (n=142) and Salmonella spp. (n=278) were the most commonly investigated LMF and microbial hazard categories, respectively. Salmonella spp. was implicated in the most outbreaks (n=96, 45%), several of which were large and widespread, resulting in the most hospitalizations (n=895, 89%) and deaths (n=14, 74%). Salmonella spp. had a consistently low prevalence across all LMF categories (0-3%), while other hazards (e.g. B. cereus) were found at highly variable levels. A variety of interventions were investigated in small challenge trials. Key knowledge gaps included under-reporting of LMF outbreaks, limited reporting of microbial concentration data from prevalence studies, and a lack of intervention-efficacy research under commercial conditions. Summary cards were a useful knowledge transfer format to inform complementary risk ranking activities. This review builds upon previous work in this area by synthesizing a broad range of evidence using a structured, transparent, and integrated approach to provide timely evidence-informed inputs into international guidelines. PMID:26613924

Food Allergen Labeling: A Latin American Approach.

PubMed

Lopez, Maria Cristina

2018-01-01

Food allergy is a public health concern almost all over the world. Although most of the countries that regulate the declaration of allergens in prepackaged foods include the list recommended by the Codex Alimentarius, some countries have added other allergens to this list due to prevalence data and regional incidence, whereas others have incorporated exceptions for some products derived from allergenic foods. Within this context, the situation in Latin America regarding these regulations is diverse. Data about prevalence of food hypersensitivity are very limited in the region. The countries that have established regulations are Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Chile, Mexico, and Venezuela. Argentina has approved a regulation for the labeling of food allergens in November 2016. It only needs to be published in the Official Bulletin to go into effect. All countries follow the Codex list that includes latex and excludes sulfites, except Brazil. On the other hand, Argentina is the only country that includes exceptions. As for the methodologies for the detection of allergens in foods, this issue is a serious problem for both the food industry and control laboratories. Available methodologies are based mainly on commercial ELISA kits; currently, there are no Latin American companies that produce them, so ELISA kits are expensive and their acquisition is complicated. There is an initiative in Argentina to address all these gaps in the region through the Platform of Food Allergens (PFA), a nonprofit organization that integrates health professionals, patients, representatives of the food industry, government, and scientists. The different actions carried out by the PFA have made it possible to contact different scientific groups from other Latin American countries in order to expand this initiative and thereby promote and strengthen both public and private capacities in the region.

The effect of irradiation in the quality of the avocado frozen pulp

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valdivia, Ma. Ángeles; Bustos, Ma. Emilia; Ruiz, Javier; Ruiz, Luisa F.

2002-03-01

The quality of frozen avocado pulp irradiated with 60Co gamma rays at doses of: 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.5 kGy, was studied. These are possible doses for reducing the content of bacteria Listeria monocytogenes by 1-4 log cycles. The study principally consisted of weekly evaluations of damages caused in lipids and chlorophyll pigment over a period of one year. No significant differences were found in either hydrolysis rancidity or in the oxidative rancidity for any of the doses. The concentrations of fatty acids and peroxides were below those established by Codex Alimentarius. This means that the quality of the oil in the frozen avocado pulp remains acceptable. The kinetic model for the oxidative rancidity is of first order and the shelf life of the product is of about 120 weeks. The concentrations of the fatty acids and of malondialdehyde were not high enough to produce off-flavors. It was also determined that the radiation doses did not influence the chemistry of the chlorophyll. The results were confirmed by the panelists, who accepted irradiated frozen pulp at the highest radiation dose.

New materials for solid-phase extraction and multiclass high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of pesticides in grapes.

PubMed

Melo, Lucio F C; Collins, Carol H; Jardim, Isabel C S F

2004-04-02

Sample preparation procedures which included the use of new aminopropyl (NH2) and octadecyl (C18) solid-phase extraction (SPE) sorbents are proposed for the simultaneous multiclass determination of the fungicide benomyl and of the herbicides tebuthiuron, diuron, simazine, atrazine, and ametryn in grapes, using single wavelength high-performance liquid chromatography. Sorbent preparation uses a fast, easy, and effective procedure to obtain silica-based materials, made by depositing polysiloxanes on a silica support followed by thermal immobilization. Recovery results of the compounds, after elution from the SPE cartridges, indicate that the most efficient system employed silica loaded with 40% of an aminofunctional polydimethylsiloxane as sorbent, using dichloromethane:methanol (95:5, v/v) as eluent. Method validation, carried out in agreement with International Conference on Harmonization directives, was performed at three fortification levels (100, 200, and 1000 microg kg(-1)). Limits of detection and quantification show that the method developed can be used to detect the pesticides at concentrations below the maximum residue levels established by Codex Alimentarius, the US Environmental Protection Agency, the European Union, and Brazilian legislation.

The World Health Assembly resolution on antimicrobial resistance.

PubMed

Shallcross, Laura J; Davies, Sally C

2014-11-01

Antimicrobial resistance is a global problem that can only be tackled successfully through strengthened international partnerships. A concerted political, scientific and media campaign has garnered support for the recent World Health Assembly resolution on antimicrobial resistance, mandating the WHO to develop a global action plan. This resolution has the 'One Health' approach at its core, emphasizing collaboration across human and animal health sectors at the international, national and regional levels, coupled with strong leadership and the political will to act. Key themes are communication, prevention of infection, using knowledge to guide action, sustainability and optimizing the use of antimicrobial medicines and diagnostic devices. Implementation of the global action plan will require member states to make a commitment to developing national action plans and strengthening capacity, building on collaborations between the WHO, the World Organisation for Animal Health, the World Bank, Codex Alimentarius and the Transatlantic Task Force on Antimicrobial Resistance. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Accumulation of Heavy Metals and Metalloid in Foodstuffs from Agricultural Soils around Tarkwa Area in Ghana, and Associated Human Health Risks.

PubMed

Bortey-Sam, Nesta; Nakayama, Shouta M M; Akoto, Osei; Ikenaka, Yoshinori; Fobil, Julius N; Baidoo, Elvis; Mizukawa, Hazuki; Ishizuka, Mayumi

2015-07-28

This study was carried out to assess the extent of heavy metals and metalloid accumulation from agricultural soils to foodstuffs (viz, M. esculenta (cassava) and Musa paradisiaca (plantain)) around thirteen neighboring communities within Tarkwa, Ghana; and to estimate the human health risk associated with consumption of these foodstuffs. Concentrations of As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn were measured with an inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer and mercury analysis was done using a mercury analyzer. From the results, 30% of cassava samples collected, contained higher concentrations of Pb when compared to Codex Alimentarius Commission standard values. Bioconcentration factor indicated that Ni had higher capacity of absorption into food crops from soil than the other heavy metals. For both children and adults, the target hazard quotient (THQ) of Pb in cassava in communities such as Techiman, Wangarakrom, Samahu, and Tebe (only children) were greater than 1, which is defined as an acceptable risk value. This indicated that residents could be exposed to significant health risks associated with cassava consumption.

Accumulation of Heavy Metals and Metalloid in Foodstuffs from Agricultural Soils around Tarkwa Area in Ghana, and Associated Human Health Risks

PubMed Central

Bortey-Sam, Nesta; Nakayama, Shouta M. M.; Akoto, Osei; Ikenaka, Yoshinori; Fobil, Julius N.; Baidoo, Elvis; Mizukawa, Hazuki; Ishizuka, Mayumi

2015-01-01

This study was carried out to assess the extent of heavy metals and metalloid accumulation from agricultural soils to foodstuffs (viz, M. esculenta (cassava) and Musa paradisiaca (plantain)) around thirteen neighboring communities within Tarkwa, Ghana; and to estimate the human health risk associated with consumption of these foodstuffs. Concentrations of As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn were measured with an inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometer and mercury analysis was done using a mercury analyzer. From the results, 30% of cassava samples collected, contained higher concentrations of Pb when compared to Codex Alimentarius Commission standard values. Bioconcentration factor indicated that Ni had higher capacity of absorption into food crops from soil than the other heavy metals. For both children and adults, the target hazard quotient (THQ) of Pb in cassava in communities such as Techiman, Wangarakrom, Samahu, and Tebe (only children) were greater than 1, which is defined as an acceptable risk value. This indicated that residents could be exposed to significant health risks associated with cassava consumption. PMID:26225988

Dietary Fiber Analysis of Four Pulses Using AOAC 2011.25: Implications for Human Health.

PubMed

Chen, Yiran; McGee, Rebecca; Vandemark, George; Brick, Mark; Thompson, Henry J

2016-12-21

Chickpeas, common beans, dry peas, and lentils are pulse crops that have been a cornerstone of the human diet since the inception of agriculture. However, the displacement of pulses from the diet by low fiber protein alternatives has resulted in a pervasive deficiency referred to as the dietary fiber gap. Using an analytical method American Association of Analytical Chemists (AOAC) 2011.25 that conforms to the Codex Alimentarius Commission consensus definition for dietary fiber, the fiber content of these pulse crops was evaluated in seed types used for commercial production. These pulse crops have 2 to 3 times more fiber per 100 g edible portion than other dietary staples. Moreover, there is marked variation in fiber content among cultivars of the same crop. We conclude that pulse crop consumption should be emphasized in efforts to close the dietary fiber gap. The substantial differences in fiber content among currently available cultivars within a crop can be used to further improve gains in fiber intake without the need to change dietary habits. This provides a rationale for cultivar-based food labeling.

Dietary Fiber Analysis of Four Pulses Using AOAC 2011.25: Implications for Human Health

PubMed Central

Chen, Yiran; McGee, Rebecca; Vandemark, George; Brick, Mark; Thompson, Henry J.

2016-01-01

Chickpeas, common beans, dry peas, and lentils are pulse crops that have been a cornerstone of the human diet since the inception of agriculture. However, the displacement of pulses from the diet by low fiber protein alternatives has resulted in a pervasive deficiency referred to as the dietary fiber gap. Using an analytical method American Association of Analytical Chemists (AOAC) 2011.25 that conforms to the Codex Alimentarius Commission consensus definition for dietary fiber, the fiber content of these pulse crops was evaluated in seed types used for commercial production. These pulse crops have 2 to 3 times more fiber per 100 g edible portion than other dietary staples. Moreover, there is marked variation in fiber content among cultivars of the same crop. We conclude that pulse crop consumption should be emphasized in efforts to close the dietary fiber gap. The substantial differences in fiber content among currently available cultivars within a crop can be used to further improve gains in fiber intake without the need to change dietary habits. This provides a rationale for cultivar-based food labeling. PMID:28009809

Ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in brown trout (Salmo trutta m. fario) from the military training area Boletice (Czech republic).

PubMed

Dvořák, Petr; Andreji, Jaroslav; Mráz, Jan; Dvořáková-Líšková, Zuzana; Klufová, Renata

2016-12-18

This study to assess the environmental pollution status in streams (Loutecky, Spicak, Olsina, Trebovicky, Polecnicky and Luzny) from the Boletice area. Were determined of some metal (Hg, Pb, Cd) concentrations in the muscle and correlations among selected metals as well as standard length and total weight in brown trouth - Salmo trutta morpha fario. The contents of the analyzed metals in muscles were Hg 0.19-0.72, Pb 0.01-0.6 and Cd 0.020-0.083 mg/kg wet weight basis and these concentrations did not exceed the limits admissible in the Czech Republic. The Czech republic permissible limit for Hg (0.5 mg/kg to omnivors, 1 mg/kg to predators), Pb (0.3 mg/kg) and Cd (0.05 mg/kg) defined in the Codex Alimentarius for safe human consumption exceeded in 6%, 3%, and 0% of analyzed samples for Hg, Pb and Cd respectively. On an average, the order of metal concentrations in the fish muscle was: Hg>Pb>Cd.

Validation of a liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometric method to determine six polyether ionophores in raw, UHT, pasteurized and powdered milk.

PubMed

Pereira, Mararlene Ulberg; Spisso, Bernardete Ferraz; Jacob, Silvana do Couto; Monteiro, Mychelle Alves; Ferreira, Rosana Gomes; Carlos, Betânia de Souza; da Nóbrega, Armi Wanderley

2016-04-01

This study aimed to validate a method developed for the determination of six antibiotics from the polyether ionophore class (lasalocid, maduramicin, monensin, narasin, salinomycin and semduramicin) at residue levels in raw, UHT, pasteurized and powdered milk using QuEChERS extraction and high performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). The validation was conducted under an in-house laboratory protocol that is primarily based on 2002/657/EC Decision, but takes in account the variability of matrix sources. Overall recoveries between 93% and 113% with relative standard deviations up to 16% were obtained under intermediate precision conditions. CCα calculated values did not exceed 20% the Maximum Residue Limit for monensin and 25% the Maximum Levels for all other substances. The method showed to be simple, fast and suitable for verifying the compliance of raw and processed milk samples regarding the limits recommended by Codex Alimentarius and those adopted in European Community for polyether ionophores. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Aflatoxin evaluation in ready-to-eat brazil nuts using reversed-phase liquid chromatography and post-column derivatisation.

PubMed

Iamanaka, Beatriz Thie; Nakano, Felipe; Lemes, Daniel Ponciano; Ferranti, Larissa Souza; Taniwaki, Marta Hiromi

2014-01-01

A high-performance liquid chromatography-fluorescence (HPLC-FD) method for aflatoxin quantification in brazil nuts was developed. Samples of brazil nuts collected in Brazilian markets were extracted with methanol:water and cleaned using an immunoaffinity column. Aflatoxins were eluted with methanol and a post-column derivatisation was performed with bromine, using a Kobra Cell system. The optimised method for total aflatoxins was sensitive, with detection and quantification limits of 0.05 and 0.25 µg kg⁻¹, respectively. The method was accurate, with recovery values of 87.6%; 85.3% and 85.0% for 0.5, 5.0 and 14.6 µg kg⁻¹ spiked levels, respectively. It was shown that the method was applicable to brazil nuts. From a total of 95 brazil nut samples analysed from 21 São Paulo supermarket samples and 51 Manaus and 23 Belém street markets samples, 37.9% showed detectable levels of aflatoxins and three exceeded the recommended Codex Alimentarius limit of 10 µg kg⁻¹ for ready-to-eat brazil nuts.

Patulin contamination in apple products marketed in Shiraz, Southern Iran.

PubMed

Poostforoushfard, Ali; Pishgar, Ahmad R; Berizi, Enayat; Nouraei, Hasti; Sobhani, Zahra; Mirzaie, Rohallah; Zomorodian, Kamiar

2017-12-01

Patulin is one of the important mycotoxins, produced by a wide range of molds, including Penicillium , Aspergillus, and Bysochlamys. Patulin is mainly found in the rotten parts of fruits and vegetables, such as apples, pears, peach, apricots, and grapes. Currently, the Codex Alimentarius and Food and Drug Administration have recommended a maximum level of 50 µg/L patulin for apple products. The purpose of this study was to investigate patulin contamination of apple juice and cans in 75 samples collected from 15 manufacturers in Shiraz, southern Iran. The detection of patulin was accomplished using a high-performance liquid chromatography with an ultraviolet detector. A total of 38 apple juice samples (53%) and 17 apple cans (45%) were contaminated with patulin. Overall 50% and 3% of the apple juice and apple cans samples had a patulin level of > 3 µg/L. Although the maximum level of patulin in our samples was considerably lower than the permitted level established by the European Union (i.e., 50 µg/L), the high incidence of this mycotoxin in our samples should be lessen by improving their good manufacturing practice.

Use of commercially available antimicrobial compounds for prevention of Listeria monocytogenes growth in ready-to-eat minced tuna and salmon roe during shelf life.

PubMed

Takahashi, Hajime; Kuramoto, Shintaro; Miya, Satoko; Koiso, Hiroaki; Kuda, Takashi; Kimura, Bon

2011-06-01

Listeria monocytogenes found in minced tuna and fish roe can cause listeriosis. These products are classified in category B according to the Codex Alimentarius Commission, i.e., ready-to-eat foods in which L. monocytogenes growth can occur. We investigated the effectiveness of nisin and other commercially available antimicrobial compounds (lysozyme, ε-polylysine, and chitosan) for prevention of L. monocytogenes growth during the expected shelf life of raw minced tuna and salmon roe products. Food samples inoculated with L. monocytogenes were incubated with each antimicrobial at 10°C for 7 days or at 25°C for 12 h. Nisaplin (an antimicrobial containing nisin) effectively inhibited L. monocytogenes growth in minced tuna at 500 ppm and in salmon roe at 250 ppm within their standard shelf lives. The effective concentration of each antimicrobial was determined: 2,000 ppm for ART FRESH 50/50 (containing lysozyme) and SAN KEEPER No. 381 (containing ε-polylysine) and 10,000 ppm for SAN KEEPER K-3 (containing chitosan).

Up to code: does your company's conduct meet world-class standards?

PubMed

Paine, Lynn; Deshpandé, Rohit; Margolis, Joshua D; Bettcher, Kim Eric

2005-12-01

Codes of conduct have long been a feature of corporate life. Today, they are arguably a legal necessity--at least for public companies with a presence in the United States. But the issue goes beyond U.S. legal and regulatory requirements. Sparked by corruption and excess of various types, dozens of industry, government, investor, and multisector groups worldwide have proposed codes and guidelines to govern corporate behavior. These initiatives reflect an increasingly global debate on the nature of corporate legitimacy. Given the legal, organizational, reputational, and strategic considerations, few companies will want to be without a code. But what should it say? Apart from a handful of essentials spelled out in Sarbanes-Oxley regulations and NYSE rules, authoritative guidance is sorely lacking. In search of some reference points for managers, the authors undertook a systematic analysis of a select group of codes. In this article, they present their findings in the form of a "codex," a reference source on code content. The Global Business Standards Codex contains a set of overarching principles as well as a set of conduct standards for putting those principles into practice. The GBS Codex is not intended to be adopted as is, but is meant to be used as a benchmark by those wishing to create their own world-class code. The provisions of the codex must be customized to a company's specific business and situation; individual companies' codes will include their own distinctive elements as well. What the codex provides is a starting point grounded in ethical fundamentals and aligned with an emerging global consensus on basic standards of corporate behavior.

Determination of insoluble, soluble, and total dietary fiber (CODEX definition) by enzymatic-gravimetric method and liquid chromatography: collaborative study.

PubMed

McCleary, Barry V; DeVries, Jonathan W; Rader, Jeanne I; Cohen, Gerald; Prosky, Leon; Mugford, David C; Okuma, Kazuhiro

2012-01-01

A method for the determination of insoluble (IDF), soluble (SDF), and total dietary fiber (TDF), as defined by the CODEX Alimentarius, was validated in foods. Based upon the principles of AOAC Official Methods 985.29, 991.43, 2001.03, and 2002.02, the method quantitates water-insoluble and water-soluble dietary fiber. This method extends the capabilities of the previously adopted AOAC Official Method 2009.01, Total Dietary Fiber in Foods, Enzymatic-Gravimetric-Liquid Chromatographic Method, applicable to plant material, foods, and food ingredients consistent with CODEX Definition 2009, including naturally occurring, isolated, modified, and synthetic polymers meeting that definition. The method was evaluated through an AOAC/AACC collaborative study. Twenty-two laboratories participated, with 19 laboratories returning valid assay data for 16 test portions (eight blind duplicates) consisting of samples with a range of traditional dietary fiber, resistant starch, and nondigestible oligosaccharides. The dietary fiber content of the eight test pairs ranged from 10.45 to 29.90%. Digestion of samples under the conditions of AOAC 2002.02 followed by the isolation, fractionation, and gravimetric procedures of AOAC 985.29 (and its extensions 991.42 and 993.19) and 991.43 results in quantitation of IDF and soluble dietary fiber that precipitates (SDFP). The filtrate from the quantitation of water-alcohol-insoluble dietary fiber is concentrated, deionized, concentrated again, and analyzed by LC to determine the SDF that remains soluble (SDFS), i.e., all dietary fiber polymers of degree of polymerization = 3 and higher, consisting primarily, but not exclusively, of oligosaccharides. SDF is calculated as the sum of SDFP and SDFS. TDF is calculated as the sum of IDF and SDF. The within-laboratory variability, repeatability SD (Sr), for IDF ranged from 0.13 to 0.71, and the between-laboratory variability, reproducibility SD (SR), for IDF ranged from 0.42 to 2.24. The within-laboratory variability Sr for SDF ranged from 0.28 to 1.03, and the between-laboratory variability SR for SDF ranged from 0.85 to 1.66. The within-laboratory variability Sr for TDF ranged from 0.47 to 1.41, and the between-laboratory variability SR for TDF ranged from 0.95 to 3.14. This is comparable to other official and approved dietary fiber methods, and the method is recommended for adoption as Official First Action.

Expression of Colocasia esculenta tuber agglutinin in Indian mustard provides resistance against Lipaphis erysimi and the expressed protein is non-allergenic.

PubMed

Das, Ayan; Ghosh, Prithwi; Das, Sampa

2018-06-01

Transgenic Brassica juncea plants expressing Colocasia esculenta tuber agglutinin (CEA) shows the non-allergenic nature of the expressed protein leading to enhanced mortality and reduced fecundity of mustard aphid-Lipaphis erysimi. Lipaphis erysimi (common name: mustard aphid) is the most devastating sucking insect pest of Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L.). Colocasia esculenta tuber agglutinin (CEA), a GNA (Galanthus nivalis agglutinin)-related lectin has previously been reported by the present group to be effective against a wide array of hemipteran insects in artificial diet-based bioassays. In the present study, efficacy of CEA in controlling L. erysimi has been established through the development of transgenic B. juncea expressing this novel lectin. Southern hybridization of the transgenic plants confirmed stable integration of cea gene. Expression of CEA in T 0 , T 1 and T 2 transgenic plants was confirmed through western blot analysis. Level of expression of CEA in the T 2 transgenic B. juncea ranged from 0.2 to 0.47% of the total soluble protein. In the in planta insect bioassays, the CEA expressing B. juncea lines exhibited enhanced insect mortality of 70-81.67%, whereas fecundity of L. erysimi was reduced by 49.35-62.11% compared to the control plants. Biosafety assessment of the transgenic B. juncea protein containing CEA was carried out by weight of evidence approach following the recommendations by FAO/WHO (Evaluation of the allergenicity of genetically modified foods: report of a joint FAO/WHO expert consultation, 22-25 Jan, Rome, http://www.fao.org/docrep/007/y0820e/y0820e00.HTM , 2001), Codex (Codex principles and guidelines on foods derived from biotechnology, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome; Codex, Codex principles and guidelines on foods derived from biotechnology, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, 2003) and ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research, guidelines for safety assessment of food derived from genetically engineered plants, http://www.icmr.nic.in/guide/Guidelines%20for%20Genetically%20Engineered%20Plants.pdf , 2008). Bioinformatics analysis, pepsin digestibility, thermal stability assay, immuno-screening and allergenicity assessment in BALB/c mice model demonstrated that the expressed CEA protein from transgenic B. juncea does not incite any allergenic response. The present study establishes CEA as an efficient insecticidal and non-allergenic protein to be utilized for controlling mustard aphid and similar hemipteran insects through the development of genetically modified plants.

Wholesomeness of irradiated food

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ehlermann, Dieter A. E.

2016-12-01

Just with the emergence of the idea to treat food by ionizing radiation, the concerns were voiced whether it would be safe to consume such food. Now, we look back on more than hundred years of research into the 'wholesomeness', a terminology developed during those efforts. This review will cover the many questions which had been raised, explaining the most relevant ones in some detail; it will also give place to the concerns and elucidate their scientific relevance and background. There has never been any other method of food processing studied in such depth and in such detail as food irradiation. The conclusion based on science is: Consumption of any food treated at any high dose is safe, as long as the food remains palatable. This conclusion has been adopted by WHO, also by international and national bodies. Finally, this finding has also been adopted by Codex Alimentarius in 2003, the international standard for food. However, this conclusion has not been adopted and included at its full extent in most national regulations. As the literature about wholesomeness of irradiated food is abundant, this review will use only a few, most relevant references, which will guide the reader to further reading.

Ensuring safe international trade: how are the roles and responsibilities evolving and what will the situation be in ten years' time?

PubMed

Brückner, G K

2011-04-01

The roles of the international standard-setting bodies that are mandated to facilitate safe trade, such as the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), the Codex Alimentarius Commission, the International Plant Protection Convention and the World Trade Organization, are well documented, as are the roles of the international organisations responsible for global health issues: the OIE, the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. However, developments in international trade, such as accelerating globalisation and the frequent emergence and re-emergence of diseases affecting both humans and animals, have brought new challenges and the need to reconsider the future roles of such organisations. New participants and new demands have also emerged to challenge these mandates, leading to potential areas of conflict. The need for countries to establish themselves as new trade partners, or to strengthen their positions while still maintaining safe trade, poses a challenge to standard-setting organisations, which must meet these demands while still remaining sensitive to the needs of developing countries. In this paper, the author describes and discusses some of these challenges and suggests how international organisations could evolve to confront such issues.

Extraction of Oleic Acid from Moroccan Olive Mill Wastewater

PubMed Central

Elkacmi, Reda; Kamil, Noureddine; Bennajah, Mounir; Kitane, Said

2016-01-01

The production of olive oil in Morocco has recently grown considerably for its economic and nutritional importance favored by the country's climate. After the extraction of olive oil by pressing or centrifuging, the obtained liquid contains oil and vegetation water which is subsequently separated by decanting or centrifugation. Despite its treatment throughout the extraction process, this olive mill wastewater, OMW, still contains a very important oily residue, always regarded as a rejection. The separated oil from OMW can not be intended for food because of its high acidity of 3.397% which exceeds the international standard for human consumption defined by the standard of the Codex Alimentarius, proving its poor quality. This work gives value addition to what would normally be regarded as waste by the extraction of oleic acid as a high value product, using the technique of inclusion with urea for the elimination of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids through four successive crystallizations at 4°C and 20°C to have a final phase with oleic acid purity of 95.49%, as a biodegradable soap and a high quality glycerin will be produced by the reaction of saponification and transesterification. PMID:26933663

Application of Multivariable Analysis and FTIR-ATR Spectroscopy to the Prediction of Properties in Campeche Honey

PubMed Central

Pat, Lucio; Ali, Bassam; Guerrero, Armando; Córdova, Atl V.; Garduza, José P.

2016-01-01

Attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectrometry and chemometrics model was used for determination of physicochemical properties (pH, redox potential, free acidity, electrical conductivity, moisture, total soluble solids (TSS), ash, and HMF) in honey samples. The reference values of 189 honey samples of different botanical origin were determined using Association Official Analytical Chemists, (AOAC), 1990; Codex Alimentarius, 2001, International Honey Commission, 2002, methods. Multivariate calibration models were built using partial least squares (PLS) for the measurands studied. The developed models were validated using cross-validation and external validation; several statistical parameters were obtained to determine the robustness of the calibration models: (PCs) optimum number of components principal, (SECV) standard error of cross-validation, (R 2 cal) coefficient of determination of cross-validation, (SEP) standard error of validation, and (R 2 val) coefficient of determination for external validation and coefficient of variation (CV). The prediction accuracy for pH, redox potential, electrical conductivity, moisture, TSS, and ash was good, while for free acidity and HMF it was poor. The results demonstrate that attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectrometry is a valuable, rapid, and nondestructive tool for the quantification of physicochemical properties of honey. PMID:28070445

Extraction of Oleic Acid from Moroccan Olive Mill Wastewater.

PubMed

Elkacmi, Reda; Kamil, Noureddine; Bennajah, Mounir; Kitane, Said

2016-01-01

The production of olive oil in Morocco has recently grown considerably for its economic and nutritional importance favored by the country's climate. After the extraction of olive oil by pressing or centrifuging, the obtained liquid contains oil and vegetation water which is subsequently separated by decanting or centrifugation. Despite its treatment throughout the extraction process, this olive mill wastewater, OMW, still contains a very important oily residue, always regarded as a rejection. The separated oil from OMW can not be intended for food because of its high acidity of 3.397% which exceeds the international standard for human consumption defined by the standard of the Codex Alimentarius, proving its poor quality. This work gives value addition to what would normally be regarded as waste by the extraction of oleic acid as a high value product, using the technique of inclusion with urea for the elimination of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids through four successive crystallizations at 4°C and 20°C to have a final phase with oleic acid purity of 95.49%, as a biodegradable soap and a high quality glycerin will be produced by the reaction of saponification and transesterification.

Survey of Veterinary Drug Residues in Raw Milk in Hebei Province, China.

PubMed

Han, Rong-Wei; Yu, Zhong-Na; Zhen, Tian-Yuan; Wang, Jun

2017-10-17

The objective of this study was to investigate the occurrence of veterinary drug residues in raw milk from Hebei, the second-largest dairy production province in the People's Republic of China. A total of 192 raw milk samples were collected from 64 milk stations in seven districts. Twenty-eight veterinary drug residues were analyzed by ultraperformance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry based on a China National Standard. Raw milk samples with multiple residues of veterinary drugs were not found in the present study. Residues of four veterinary drugs, penicillin G, sulfacetamide, trimethoprim, and lincomycin, were detected in 12 (6.25%) raw milk samples, with detection ratios of 1.04, 0.52, 3.13, and 1.56%, respectively. All veterinary drug residues detected were under the maximum residue levels as regulated by China, the European Union, the United States, and the Codex Alimentarius Commission. In general, raw milk from Hebei province was considered relatively safe for human consumption because of the low prevalence of veterinary drug residues. However, stringent control measurements for veterinary drug residues in raw milk are required because some veterinary drugs were detected in milk from some areas of Hebei province.

[New aspects of safety assessment and food contamination with antibiotics of tetracycline group in the light of harmonization of hygienic standards in Russia and Customs Union with the international standards].

PubMed

Onishchenko, G G; Sheveleva, S A; Khotimchenko, S A

2012-01-01

To address the issue of harmonization of Russian MRLs for tetracycline in food and on the basis of the tasks of preserving the value of hygienic standard for the more restrictive level than similar standards of the Codex Alimentarius Commission in this survey we analyzed the evidences of the negative effects of subingibitory amounts of these antibiotics (lying below the MIC for clinically relevant microorganisms). The inadequacy of the microbiological JECFA ADI and the necessity of using of methodology of analyzing the effects of biological active substances in small doses for assessing the risk of food contamination of tetracycline subingibitory concentrations were demonstrated. Current scientific information on the functions of antibiotics as signaling molecules in the microbial world and the role of tetracycline as a leading factor in the regulation of transcription in microorganisms and activation of the horizontal transfer of resistance genes transferred to the family of conjugative transposons Tn916-Tn1545 also was reviewed in paper. Evidence-based data regarding the basic contribution of subingibitory concentrations of tetracycline in the spread of worst transmissible type of antibiotic resistance and the formation of new pathogens, associated with it, are represented. To reduce the risk of direct adverse effects on microbial ecosystem in the human body and its habitat, and to minimize the indirect risk of new infections, the necessity of saving the current Russian level residues of tetracycline (< or = 0.01 mg/kg of product), which is low by contrast to the Codex MRLs (< or = 0.1-1.2 mg/kg), was proved. Tetracycline concentrations in food, regulated in Russian Federation, below 0.1 MIC for clinically significant microorganisms which aren't capable to initiation of the above described negative changes.

Determination of total dietary fiber (CODEX definition) by enzymatic-gravimetric method and liquid chromatography: collaborative study.

PubMed

McCleary, Barry V; DeVries, Jonathan W; Rader, Jeanne I; Cohen, Gerald; Prosky, Leon; Mugford, David C; Champ, Martine; Okuma, Kazuhiro

2010-01-01

A method for the determination of total dietary fiber (TDF), as defined by the CODEX Alimentarius, was validated in foods. Based upon the principles of AOAC Official Methods 985.29, 991.43, 2001.03, and 2002.02, the method quantitates high- and low-molecular-weight dietary fiber (HMWDF and LMWDF, respectively). In 2007, McCleary described a method of extended enzymatic digestion at 37 degrees C to simulate human intestinal digestion followed by gravimetric isolation and quantitation of HMWDF and the use of LC to quantitate low-molecular-weight soluble dietary fiber (LMWSDF). The method thus quantitates the complete range of dietary fiber components from resistant starch (by utilizing the digestion conditions of AOAC Method 2002.02) to digestion resistant oligosaccharides (by incorporating the deionization and LC procedures of AOAC Method 2001.03). The method was evaluated through an AOAC collaborative study. Eighteen laboratories participated with 16 laboratories returning valid assay data for 16 test portions (eight blind duplicates) consisting of samples with a range of traditional dietary fiber, resistant starch, and nondigestible oligosaccharides. The dietary fiber content of the eight test pairs ranged from 11.57 to 47.83%. Digestion of samples under the conditions of AOAC Method 2002.02 followed by the isolation and gravimetric procedures of AOAC Methods 985.29 and 991.43 results in quantitation of HMWDF. The filtrate from the quantitation of HMWDF is concentrated, deionized, concentrated again, and analyzed by LC to determine the LMWSDF, i.e., all nondigestible oligosaccharides of degree of polymerization > or =3. TDF is calculated as the sum of HMWDF and LMWSDF. Repeatability standard deviations (Sr) ranged from 0.41 to 1.43, and reproducibility standard deviations (S(R)) ranged from 1.18 to 5.44. These results are comparable to other official dietary fiber methods, and the method is recommended for adoption as Official First Action.

Current codex guidelines for assessment of potential protein allergenicity.

PubMed

Ladics, G S

2008-10-01

A rigorous safety assessment process exists for GM crops. It includes evaluation of the introduced protein as well as the crop containing such protein with the goal of demonstrating the GM crop is "as-safe-as" non-transgenic crops in the food supply. One of the major issues for GM crops is the assessment of the expressed protein for allergenic potential. Currently, no single factor is recognized as an identifier for protein allergenicity. Therefore, a weight-of-evidence approach, which takes into account a variety of factors and approaches for an overall assessment of allergenic potential, is conducted [Codex Alimentarious Commission, 2003. Alinorm 03/34: Joint FAO/WHO Food Standard Programme, Codex Alimentarious Commission, Twenty-Fifth Session, Rome, Italy, 30 June-5 July, 2003. Appendix III, Guideline for the conduct of food safety assessment of foods derived from recombinant-DNA plants, and Appendix IV, Annex on the assessment of possible allergenicity, pp. 47-60]. This assessment is based on what is known about allergens, including the history of exposure and safety of the gene(s) source; protein structure (e.g., amino acid sequence identity to human allergens); stability to pepsin digestion in vitro [Thomas, K. et al., 2004. A multi-laboratory evaluation of a common in vitro pepsin digestion assay protocol used in assessing the safety of novel proteins. Regul. Toxicol. Pharmacol. 39, 87-98]; an estimate of exposure of the novel protein(s) to the gastrointestinal tract where absorption occurs (e.g., protein abundance in the crop, processing effects); and when appropriate, specific IgE binding studies or skin prick testing. Additional approaches may be considered (e.g., animal models; targeted sera screening) as the science evolves; however, such approaches have not been thoroughly evaluated or validated for predicting protein allergenicity.

Quantitative risk assessment of human salmonellosis in Canadian broiler chicken breast from retail to consumption.

PubMed

Smadi, Hanan; Sargeant, Jan M

2013-02-01

The current quantitative risk assessment model followed the framework proposed by the Codex Alimentarius to provide an estimate of the risk of human salmonellosis due to consumption of chicken breasts which were bought from Canadian retail stores and prepared in Canadian domestic kitchens. The model simulated the level of Salmonella contamination on chicken breasts throughout the retail-to-table pathway. The model used Canadian input parameter values, where available, to represent risk of salmonellosis. From retail until consumption, changes in the concentration of Salmonella on each chicken breast were modeled using equations for growth and inactivation. The model predicted an average of 318 cases of salmonellosis per 100,000 consumers per year. Potential reasons for this overestimation were discussed. A sensitivity analysis showed that concentration of Salmonella on chicken breasts at retail and food hygienic practices in private kitchens such as cross-contamination due to not washing cutting boards (or utensils) and hands after handling raw meat along with inadequate cooking contributed most significantly to the risk of human salmonellosis. The outcome from this model emphasizes that responsibility for protection from Salmonella hazard on chicken breasts is a shared responsibility. Data needed for a comprehensive Canadian Salmonella risk assessment were identified for future research. © 2012 Society for Risk Analysis.

Residues of legacy organochlorine contaminants in the milk of Alpine and Saanen goats from the central region of Mexico.

PubMed

Schettino, Beatriz; Gutiérrez, Rey; Ortiz, Rutilio; Vega, Salvador; Urban, Georgina; Ramírez, Acacia

2013-08-01

This study investigated a suite of legacy organochlorine contaminants in the milk of two breeds of goats raised in the central region of Mexico, where this agricultural production is of national (Mexican) economic importance. Forty milk samples from Alpine and Saanen goats were assessed. It was found that the concentrations of the majority of organochlorine pesticides in milk samples were lower than those stipulated in Mexican and international regulation. The values in both breeds of goat exceeded the upper permissible limits of Codex Alimentarius for delta hexachloro cyclohexane (HCH) (17.3 of samples of Saanen) and heptachlor plus heptachlor epoxide (50 % and 13 % of samples). It may be concluded that milk from these goat breeds from central Mexico showed some risks of contamination in certain times of the year (dry season). However, under further assessment and use of pesticides the goat's milk will likely be safe for human consumption and for use in products such as cheeses, regional candies and desserts (cajeta). In recent years, goat milk production has increased in the central regions and it is an economic alternative to milk from livestock. It is necessary to continue the monitoring of goat's milk to assess the presence and control of HCHs through best management practices.

Assessment of endogenous allergenicity of genetically modified plants exemplified by soybean - Where do we stand?

PubMed

Selb, R; Wal, J M; Moreno, F J; Lovik, M; Mills, C; Hoffmann-Sommergruber, K; Fernandez, A

2017-03-01

According to EU regulation, genetically modified (GM) plants considered to be allergenic have to be assessed concerning their endogenous allergens before placement on the EU market, in line with the international standards described in Codex Alimentarius. Under such premises, a quantitative relevant increase in allergens might occur in GM plants as an unintended effect compared with conventionally produced crops, which could pose a risk to consumers. Currently, data showing a connection between dose and allergic sensitisation are scarce since the pathophysiological mechanisms of sensitisation are insufficiently understood. In contrast, data on population dose-distribution relationships acquired by oral food challenge are available showing a connection between quantity of allergenic protein consumed and the population of allergic individuals experiencing reactions. Soybean is currently the only recognised allergenic GM food by law for which EFSA has received applications and was therefore taken as an example for defining an assessment strategy. Identification of potential allergens, methodology for quantification as well as risk assessment considerations, are discussed. A strategy is proposed for the identification, assessment and evaluation of potential hazards/risks concerning endogenous allergenicity in food derived from plants developed by biotechnology. This approach could be expanded to other allergenic foods in the future, whenever required. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ascendancy of agricultural biotechnology in the Australian political mainstream coexists with technology criticism by a vocal-minority.

PubMed

Tribe, David

2014-07-03

Australia is a federation of States. This political structure necessitates collaborative arrangements between Australian governments to harmonize national regulation of gene technology and food standards. Extensive political negotiation among institutions of federal government has managed regulation of GM crops and food. Well-developed human resources in Australian government provided numerous policy documents facilitating a transparent political process. Workable legislation has been devised in the face of criticisms of gene technology though the political process. Conflicts between potential disruptions to food commodity trade by precautionary proposals for environmental protection were one cause of political tensions, and differences in policy priorities at regional political levels versus national and international forums for negotiation were another. Australian policy outcomes on GM crops reflect (a) strong economic self-interest in innovative and productive farming, (b) reliance on global agricultural market reforms through the Cairns trade group and the WTO, and (c) the importance of Codex Alimentarius and WTO instruments SPS and TBT. Precautionary frameworks for GM food safety assurance that are inconsistent with WTO obligations were avoided in legislation. Since 2008 the 2 major parties, Australian Labor Party (ALP) and the Liberals appear to have reached a workable consensus at the Federal policy level about an important role for agricultural biotechnology in Australia's economic future.

Ascendancy of agricultural biotechnology in the Australian political mainstream coexists with technology criticism by a vocal-minority

PubMed Central

Tribe, David

2014-01-01

Australia is a federation of States. This political structure necessitates collaborative arrangements between Australian governments to harmonize national regulation of gene technology and food standards. Extensive political negotiation among institutions of federal government has managed regulation of GM crops and food. Well-developed human resources in Australian government provided numerous policy documents facilitating a transparent political process. Workable legislation has been devised in the face of criticisms of gene technology though the political process. Conflicts between potential disruptions to food commodity trade by precautionary proposals for environmental protection were one cause of political tensions, and differences in policy priorities at regional political levels versus national and international forums for negotiation were another. Australian policy outcomes on GM crops reflect (a) strong economic self-interest in innovative and productive farming, (b) reliance on global agricultural market reforms through the Cairns trade group and the WTO, and (c) the importance of Codex Alimentarius and WTO instruments SPS and TBT. Precautionary frameworks for GM food safety assurance that are inconsistent with WTO obligations were avoided in legislation. Since 2008 the 2 major parties, Australian Labor Party (ALP) and the Liberals appear to have reached a workable consensus at the Federal policy level about an important role for agricultural biotechnology in Australia's economic future. PMID:25437242

Determination of benzoylurea insecticides in food by pressurized liquid extraction and LC-MS.

PubMed

Brutti, Monia; Blasco, Cristina; Picó, Yolanda

2010-01-01

A method based on pressurized liquid extraction and LC-MS/MS has been developed for determining nine benzoylureas (BUs) in fruit, vegetable, cereals, and animal products. Samples (5 g) were homogenized with diatomaceous earth and extracted in a 22 mL cell with 22 mL of ethyl acetate at 80 degrees C and 1500 psi. After solvent concentration and exchange to methanol, BUs were analyzed by LC-MS/MS using an IT mass analyzer, which achieved several transitions of precursor ions that increase selectivity providing identification. LOQs were between 0.002 and 0.01 mg/kg, which are equal or lower than maximum residue limits established by the Codex Alimentarius. Excellent linearity was achieved over a range of concentrations from 0.01 to 1 mg/kg with correlation coefficients 0.995-0.999 (n=7). Validation of the total method was performed by analyzing in quintuplicate seven different commodities (milk, eggs, meat, rice, lettuce, avocado, and lemon) at three concentration levels (0.01, 0.1, and 1 mg/kg). The recoveries ranged from 58 to 97% and the RSDs from 5 to 19% depending on the compound and the commodity. The combination of pressurized liquid extraction with LC-MS/MS provides a sensitive and selective method for the determination of BUs in food.

Food labeling issues in patients with severe food allergies: solving a hamlet-like doubt.

PubMed

Fierro, Vincenzo; Di Girolamo, Francesco; Marzano, Valeria; Dahdah, Lamia; Mennini, Maurizio

2017-06-01

We review the laws on labeling in the international community, the difficulties they pose to the food manufacturers to prepare the food labels and the methodologies to determine the concentration of potential allergens in foods. European Food Safety Authority and International Life Sciences Institute Europe are evaluating strategies to identify the threshold level of allergen that can trigger a reaction in individuals. The most used techniques to detect the presence of protein in food are Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, polymerase chain reaction and real time polymerase chain reaction. Researchers are now trying to apply proteomics to estimate the amount of protein within the food.In order to protect the health of consumers, the Codex Alimentarius Commission updates constantly the list of allergens. In response to these regulations, some industries have also added some precautionary allergen labeling (PAL). It was generally agreed that PAL statements needed to be visible, simple, and safe. It was suggested that PAL be standardized, an action that would occur if the 'Voluntary Incidental Trace Allergen Labelling' process was made mandatory. So far, no laboratory technique is able to reassure the consumers about the composition of foods found on the packaging. International authorities produced increasingly stringent laws, but more is still to do.

Nominate a Codex MRL

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues (CCPR) is responsible for establishing maximum residue limits (MRLs) for pesticide residues in specific food items or in groups of food for Codex. Learn how to submit a request for a CODEX MRL.

Identification of Lactobacillus alimentarius and Lactobacillus farciminis with 16S-23S rDNA intergenic spacer region polymorphism and PCR amplification using species-specific oligonucleotide.

PubMed

Rachman, C N; Kabadjova, P; Prévost, H; Dousset, X

2003-01-01

The restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) method was used to differentiate Lactobacillus species having closely related identities in the 16S-23S rDNA intergenic spacer region (ISR). Species-specific primers for Lact. farciminis and Lact. alimentarius were designed and allowed rapid identification of these species. The 16S-23S rDNA spacer region was amplified by primers tAla and 23S/p10, then digested by HinfI and TaqI enzymes and analysed by electrophoresis. Digestion by HinfI was not sufficient to differentiate Lact. sakei, Lact. curvatus, Lact. farciminis, Lact. alimentarius, Lact. plantarum and Lact. paraplantarum. In contrast, digestion carried out by TaqI revealed five different patterns allowing these species to be distinguished, except for Lact. plantarum from Lact. paraplantarum. The 16S-23S rDNA spacer region of Lact. farciminis and Lact. alimentarius were amplified and then cloned into vector pCR(R)2.1 and sequenced. The DNA sequences obtained were analysed and species-specific primers were designed from these sequences. The specificity of these primers was positively demonstrated as no response was obtained for 14 other species tested. The species-specific primers for Lact. farciminis and Lact. alimentarius were shown to be useful for identifying these species among other lactobacilli. The RFLP profile obtained upon digestion with HinfI and TaqI enzymes can be used to discriminate Lact. farciminis, Lact. alimentarius, Lact. sakei, Lact. curvatus and Lact. plantarum. In this paper, we have established the first species-specific primer for PCR identification of Lact. farciminis and Lact. alimentarius. Both species-specific primer and RFLP, could be used as tools for rapid identification of lactobacilli up to species level.

[Guidelines for animal and meat inspection procedures in the slaughterhouse].

PubMed

Schnöller, A

2006-08-01

Over the last few decades there have been significant developments in livestock and meat inspection systems in slaughterhouses. The most highly developed countries have taken the lead in bringing about these changes by enacting new legislation. These new national laws have been reflected by the Codex Alimentarius in its Codes of Good Practice and this has served to harmonise world trade in foodstuffs. The author identifies the different aspects to be considered when carrying out a veterinary inspection of animals and animal products in the slaughterhouse, bearing in mind the need to protect public and animal health. Although this article only covers cattle, many of the concepts set forth can be applied to other livestock species. Information obtained from the slaughterhouse is useful to primary production; conversely, information compiled in the primary production process makes for more efficient use of slaughterhouse resources. This information makes it possible to carry out risk-based inspections, which will gradually replace traditional procedures. Conventional inspections are often very rigid and mechanical and incapable of measuring the seriousness of hazards or of determining the probability that they will occur. Emerging biological, physical and chemical hazards, as well as new technologies, mean that we cannot become complacent about inspection procedures but must continue to be alert and to keep pace with the constant changes in food safety sciences. Another new trend is the active participation of operators, who must shoulder primary responsibility in upholding the safety of the food they produce. Official veterinary inspection in the slaughterhouse plays several roles: the detection of animal diseases, the inspection of meat and meat products and the verification of audits carried out by the private sector. In recent years, the bovine spongiform encephalopathy crisis and cases of dioxin poisoning have highlighted the need for traceability of foodstuffs, i.e. giving consumers the opportunity to obtain information about the origin of their food and the different stages of its production (commonly referred to as the 'farm-to-fork' chain). Finally, the slaughterhouse veterinarian, as a professional devoted to providing care to animals, is also responsible for ensuring animal welfare; this is an inherent part of his professional ethics.

Scientific advancement of novel protein allergenicity evaluation: an overview of work from the HESI Protein Allergenicity Technical Committee (2000-2008).

PubMed

Thomas, Karluss; MacIntosh, Sue; Bannon, Gary; Herouet-Guicheney, Corinne; Holsapple, Michael; Ladics, Gregory; McClain, Scott; Vieths, Stefan; Woolhiser, Michael; Privalle, Laura

2009-06-01

The safety assessment of genetically modified crops includes the evaluation for potential allergenicity. The current 'state-of-the-science' utilizes a weight of evidence approach, as outlined by the Codex Alimentarius commission (Alinorm 03/34 A), recognizing no single endpoint is predictive of the allergenic potential of a novel protein. This approach evaluates: whether the gene source is allergenic, sequence similarity to known allergens, and protein resistance to pepsin in vitro. If concerns are identified, serological studies may be necessary to determine if a protein has IgE binding similar to known allergens. Since there was a lack of standardized/validated methods to conduct the allergenicity assessment, a committee was assembled under the International Life Sciences Institute Health and Environmental Sciences Institute to address this issue. Over the last eight years, the Protein Allergenicity Technical Committee has convened workshops and symposia with allergy experts and government authorities to refine methods that underpin the assessment for potential protein allergenicity. This publication outlines this ongoing effort, summarizing workshops and formal meetings, referencing publications, and highlighting outreach activities. The purpose is to (1) outline 'the state-of-the-science' in predicting protein allergenicity in the context of current international recommendations for novel protein safety assessment, and (2) identify approaches that can be improved and future research needs.

Assessment of pesticide residues in vegetables from the Western Usambara and Uruguru Mountains in Tanzania.

PubMed

Mtashobya, Lewis A

2017-09-25

Assessment of levels of pesticide residues in vegetables was carried out in some villages in the Western Usambara and Uluguru Mountains of Tanzania where varieties of vegetables are grown. Tomatoes and cabbages were the most popular enterprise grown all year round and therefore were selected as the model crops for this study. Analysis of the cleaned sample extracts on a gas chromatography with electron capture detector (GC-ECD) and confirmation on the Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) revealed dominance of organochlorine pesticides. Organophosphorous pesticides (parathion and marathion) were only detected in some samples, however, in most cases with higher concentrations compared to organochlorine pesticides. Levels of pesticide residues detected in vegetables were up to: parathion 5.07 μg/Kg, marathion 3.73 μg/Kg, α-endosulfan 0.32 μg/Kg, β-endosulfan 0.53 μg/Kg, dieldrin 1.36 μg/Kg, γ-HCH 0.25 μg/Kg, α-HCH 0.09 μg/Kg, and p, p'-DDT 0.64 μg/Kg. These results clearly show that vegetables are contaminated with different pesticide residues. However, the total levels of pesticide residues in both tomatoes and cabbages are lower than their respective codex alimentarius maximum residue levels (MRLs). This means that the vegetables produced in the area are suitable for human consumption.

Residues levels of organochlorine pesticide in cow's milk from industrial farms in Hidalgo, Mexico.

PubMed

Gutierrez, Rey; Ortiz, Rutilio; Vega, Salvador; Schettino, Beatriz; Ramirez, Maria L; Perez, Jose J

2013-01-01

A survey was carried out from 2008 to 2010 to determine the concentrations of 16 organochlorine pesticide residues (OPRs) from Tizayuca, Hidalgo, Mexico. Organochlorine residue determinations were made from milk fat, using chromatographic cleanup and analysis by gas chromatography with an electron capture detector. The OPR concentrations found were from below the detection limit (DL) to 0.91 ng g(-1) in 2008, DL to 0.38 ng g(-1) in 2009 and DL to 0.59 ng g(-1) in 2010. In general concentrations of organochlorine pesticides were higher in the wet season (3.37 ng g(-1) and 4.79 ng g(-1)) than the dry season (1.92 ng g(-1) and 2.71 ng g(-1)) for 2009 and 2010, due to control of pests in the pasture and sheds. According to Codex Alimentarius regulations, individual pesticides did not exceed the permissible limits, which for example were 10 μg kg(-)1 for alpha hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) and endosulfan I, 20 μg kg(-1) for p,p'-DDT, and 6 μg kg(-1) for dieldrin, endrin and heptachlor. A reduction of organochlorine pesticide concentrations in cow's milk was noted, indicating that the Mexican government has achieved reduction or elimination of some organochlorine pesticides in response to global agreements on persistent organic pollutants.

Economics of food irradiation: Comparison between electron accelerators and cobalt-60

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morrison, R. M.

The Codex Alimentarius Commission's proposed international standard permits three types of ionizing radiation to be used on foods: gamma rays from radioactive cobalt-60 or cesium-137, high energy electrons, and x-rays. The latter two types of radiation are produced by electron accelerators powered by electricity. Unlike gamma rays and x-rays which can penetrate pallet loads of foods, electrons of the allowed energy levels only penetrate 1 to 3 inches when irradiated from one side. Thus, electrons are limited to treating the surface of foods or foods in thin packages or a shallow stream of grains, powders, or liquids. Average costs per kilogram (kg) of irradiating selected foods are similar for the electron accelerator and cobalt-60 irradiators analyzed in this study, but initial investment costs generally vary by U.S. $1 million. Irradiation treatment costs range from 1 to 15 U.S. cents per kg for the foods and annual volumes examined with larger volumes having lower treatment costs. Cobalt-60 is less expensive than electrons when annual volumes are below 23 million kgs. For radiation source requirements above the equivalent of about 1 million curies of cobalt-60, electrons become more economical. The largest differences in costs occur with the papaya irradiators where using x-rays to penetrate the fruit is more expensive than using cobalt-60.

Evaluation of Bar, Barnase, and Barstar recombinant proteins expressed in genetically engineered Brassica juncea (Indian mustard) for potential risks of food allergy using bioinformatics and literature searches.

PubMed

Siruguri, Vasanthi; Bharatraj, Dinesh Kumar; Vankudavath, Raju Naik; Mendu, Vishnu Vardhana Rao; Gupta, Vibha; Goodman, Richard E

2015-09-01

The potential allergenicity of Bar, Barnase, and Barstar recombinant proteins expressed in genetically engineered mustard for pollination control in plant breeding was evaluated for regulatory review. To evaluate the potential allergenicity of the Bar, Barnase and Barstar proteins amino acid sequence comparisons were made to those of known and putative allergens, and search for published evidence to the sources of the genes using the AllergenOnline.org database. Initial comparisons in 2012 were performed with version 12 by methods recommended by the Codex Alimentarius Commission and the Indian Council of Medical Research, Government of India. Searches were repeated with version 15 in 2015. A literature search was performed using PubMed to identify reports of allergy associated with the sources of the three transgenes. Potential open reading frames at the DNA insertion site were evaluated for matches to allergens. No significant sequence identity matches were identified with Bar, Barnase or Barstar proteins or potential fusion peptides at the genomic-insert junctions compared to known allergens. No references were identified that associated the sources of the genes with allergy. Based on these results we conclude that the Bar, Barnase and Barstar proteins are unlikely to present any significant risk of food allergy to consumers. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Residual determination and risk assessment of buprofezin in plum (Prunus domestica) grown in open-field conditions following the application of three different formulations.

PubMed

Kabir, Md Humayun; Abd El-Aty, A M; Kim, Sung-Woo; Lee, Han Sol; Rahman, Md Musfiqur; Lee, Young-Jun; Chung, Hyung Suk; Lieu, Truong; Choi, Jeong-Heui; Shin, Ho-Chul; Im, Geon-Jae; Hong, Su Myeong; Shim, Jae-Han

2016-11-01

This study was conducted to characterize the residual level and perform a risk assessment on buprofezin formulated as an emulsifiable concentrate, wettable powder, and suspension concentrate over various treatment schedules in plum (Prunus domestica). The samples were extracted with an AOAC quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe, 'QuEChERS', method after major modifications. As intrinsic interferences were observed in blank plum samples following dispersive-solid phase extraction (consisting of primary secondary amine and C 18 sorbents), amino cartridges were used for solid-phase extraction. Analysis was carried out using liquid chromatography with diode array detection and confirmed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The method showed excellent linearity with determination coefficient (R 2  = 1) and satisfactory recoveries (at two spiking levels, 0.5 and 2.5 mg/kg) between 90.98 and 94.74% with relative standard deviation (RSD) ≤8%. The limit of quantification (0.05 mg/kg) was considerably lower than the maximum residue limit (2 mg/kg) set by the Codex Alimentarius. Absolute residue levels for emulsifiable concentrates were highest, perhaps owing to the dilution rate and adjuvant. Notably, all formulation residues were lower than the maximum residue limit, and safety data proved that the fruits are safe for consumers. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

AllergenOnline: A peer-reviewed, curated allergen database to assess novel food proteins for potential cross-reactivity.

PubMed

Goodman, Richard E; Ebisawa, Motohiro; Ferreira, Fatima; Sampson, Hugh A; van Ree, Ronald; Vieths, Stefan; Baumert, Joseph L; Bohle, Barbara; Lalithambika, Sreedevi; Wise, John; Taylor, Steve L

2016-05-01

Increasingly regulators are demanding evaluation of potential allergenicity of foods prior to marketing. Primary risks are the transfer of allergens or potentially cross-reactive proteins into new foods. AllergenOnline was developed in 2005 as a peer-reviewed bioinformatics platform to evaluate risks of new dietary proteins in genetically modified organisms (GMO) and novel foods. The process used to identify suspected allergens and evaluate the evidence of allergenicity was refined between 2010 and 2015. Candidate proteins are identified from the NCBI database using keyword searches, the WHO/IUIS nomenclature database and peer reviewed publications. Criteria to classify proteins as allergens are described. Characteristics of the protein, the source and human subjects, test methods and results are evaluated by our expert panel and archived. Food, inhalant, salivary, venom, and contact allergens are included. Users access allergen sequences through links to the NCBI database and relevant references are listed online. Version 16 includes 1956 sequences from 778 taxonomic-protein groups that are accepted with evidence of allergic serum IgE-binding and/or biological activity. AllergenOnline provides a useful peer-reviewed tool for identifying the primary potential risks of allergy for GMOs and novel foods based on criteria described by the Codex Alimentarius Commission (2003). © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

[Design of an HACCP program for a cocoa processing facility].

PubMed

López D'Sola, Patrizia; Sandia, María Gabriela; Bou Rached, Lizet; Hernández Serrano, Pilar

2012-12-01

The HACCP plan is a food safety management tool used to control physical, chemical and biological hazards associated to food processing through all the processing chain. The aim of this work is to design a HACCP Plan for a Venezuelan cocoa processing facility.The production of safe food products requires that the HACCP system be built upon a solid foundation of prerequisite programs such as Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOP). The existence and effectiveness of these prerequisite programs were previously assessed.Good Agriculture Practices (GAP) audit to cocoa nibs suppliers were performed. To develop the HACCP plan, the five preliminary tasks and the seven HACCP principles were accomplished according to Codex Alimentarius procedures. Three Critical Control Points (CCP) were identified using a decision tree: winnowing (control of ochratoxin A), roasting (Salmonella control) and metallic particles detection. For each CCP, Critical limits were established, the Monitoring procedures, Corrective actions, Procedures for Verification and Documentation concerning all procedures and records appropriate to these principles and their application was established. To implement and maintain a HACCP plan for this processing plant is suggested. Recently OchratoxinA (OTA) has been related to cocoa beans. Although the shell separation from the nib has been reported as an effective measure to control this chemical hazard, ochratoxin prevalence study in cocoa beans produced in the country is recommended, and validate the winnowing step as well

About Codex

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues (CCPR) is responsible for establishing Codex MRLs for pesticide residues in specific food items or in groups of food. EPA and an alternate delegate from USDA represent the United States on this committee.

[Hygienic substantiation of the permissible levels for tetracycline-group antibiotics in food].

PubMed

Onishchenko, G G; Sheveleva, S A; Khotimchenko, S A

2012-01-01

For the purpose of justification of the hygienic standard for tetracycline-group antibiotics in the food production established in the Russian Federation at more rigid level, than maximum and admissible levels (MAL) of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, the analysis of data of literature on negative nature of impact of low concentration of these antibiotics on an organism and the environmental conditions and risk for health has been performed. Inadequacy of the accepted admissible daily dose (ADD) accepted by The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) on action on selection of resistant E. coli in intestines, for the wide contingent of consumers in connection with ignoring of obvious factors of uncertainty (gastrointestinal dysbiosis, age and individual variations in the microbiota of people synergy with other antibiotics residues in food and indirect impact on an organism through microflora from the natural habitat (resistance genes, modified causative organisms with altered properties).. By the analysis of information received with the use of modern molecular and genetic methods, the role of Subinhibitory concentrations (sub-MICs) of tetracyclines as biologically active substances, signaling molecules which, without causing obvious negative consequences in a macroorganism, serve as a major factor of regulation of a transcription in microorganisms and activation of a horizontal gene transfer coding resistance, transferred on conjugative transposons of Tn916-Tn1545 family. Reasonable scientific data on a dominating contribution of minor levels of tetracyclines in globalization in the nature of the most adverse transmissive type of the antibiotic resistance interfaced to formation new bacterial pathotypes, as consequences of irrationally high scales of application in agriculture and strengthened impact on microbic ecosystems of live organisms and objects of habitat are presented. For minimization of this mediated risk for health the need of preservation of operating level of the tetracyclines residues (by < or = 0,01 mg/kg of a product), MAL which were unlike Codex MAL (< or = 0,1-1,2 mg/kg) in a zone of concentrations below 0,1 Misc not capable to initiation of the above described changes has been proved, till up to receipt of new scientific data on influence on macro - or microorganisms of the doses equal or below this value on macro - or microorganisms.

[Design of a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) plan to assure the safety of a bologna product produced by a meat processing plant].

PubMed

Bou Rached, Lizet; Ascanio, Norelis; Hernández, Pilar

2004-03-01

The Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) is a systematic integral program used to identify and estimate the hazards (microbiological, chemical and physical) and the risks generated during the primary production, processing, storage, distribution, expense and consumption of foods. To establish a program of HACCP has advantages, being some of them: to emphasize more in the prevention than in the detection, to diminish the costs, to minimize the risk of manufacturing faulty products, to allow bigger trust to the management, to strengthen the national and international competitiveness, among others. The present work is a proposal based on the design of an HACCP program to guarantee the safety of the Bologna Special Type elaborated by a meat products industry, through the determination of hazards (microbiological, chemical or physical), the identification of critical control points (CCP), the establishment of critical limits, plan corrective actions and the establishment of documentation and verification procedures. The used methodology was based in the application of the seven basic principles settled down by the Codex Alimentarius, obtaining the design of this program. In view of the fact that recently the meat products are linked with pathogens like E. coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes, these were contemplated as microbiological hazard for the establishment of the HACCP plan whose application will guarantee the obtaining of a safe product.

Dietary Fiber Future Directions: Integrating New Definitions and Findings to Inform Nutrition Research and Communication12

PubMed Central

Jones, Julie Miller

2013-01-01

The CODEX Alimentarius definition of dietary fiber includes all nondigestible carbohydrate polymers with a degree of polymerization of 3 or more as dietary fiber with the proviso that they show health benefits. The global definition, if accepted by all authoritative bodies, offers a chance for international harmonization in research, food composition tables, and food labeling. Its nonacceptance highlights problems that may develop when definitions vary by region. The definition requires that the research community agrees upon physiological effects for which there is substantial scientific agreement, e.g., fibers’ effects on laxation and gut health, on attenuating blood lipids and blood glucose and insulin, and in promoting fermentation in the large bowel. The definition also necessitates the delineation of research protocols to prove the benefits of various isolated and synthesized fibers. These should emanate from evidence-based reviews that fairly weigh epidemiological data while considering that added fibers are not reflected in many food composition databases. They then should include well-controlled, randomized, control trials and utilize animal studies to determine mechanisms. Agreement on many study variables such as the type of subject and the type of baseline diet that best fits the question under investigation will also be needed. Finally, the definition establishes that all types of fiber can address the severe fiber consumption gap that exists throughout the world by recognizing that the combination of fiber-rich and -fortified foods increases fiber intake while allowing consumers to stay within allowed energy levels. PMID:23319118

Quality parameters and antioxidant and antibacterial properties of some Mexican honeys.

PubMed

Rodríguez, Beatriz A; Mendoza, Sandra; Iturriga, Montserrat H; Castaño-Tostado, Eduardo

2012-01-01

A total of 14 Mexican honeys were screened for quality parameters including color, moisture, proline, and acidity. Antioxidant properties of complete honey and its methanolic extracts were evaluated by the DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP assays. In addition, the antimicrobial activity of complete honeys against Bacillus cereus ATCC 10876, Listeria monocytogenes Scott A, Salmonella Typhimurium ATCC 14028, and Sthapylococcus aureus ATCC 6538 was determined. Most of honeys analyzed showed values within quality parameters established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission in 2001. Eucalyptus flower honey and orange blossom honey showed the highest phenolic contents and antioxidant capacity. Bell flower, orange blossom, and eucalyptus flower honeys inhibited the growth of the 4 evaluated microorganisms. The remaining honeys affected at least 1 of the estimated growth parameters (increased lag phase, decreased growth rate, and/or maximum population density). Microorganism sensitivity to the antimicrobial activity of honeys followed the order B. cereus > L. monocytogenes > Salmonella Typhimurium > S. aureus. The monofloral honey samples from orange blossoms, and eucalyptus flowers demonstrated to be good sources of antioxidant and antimicrobial compounds. All the Mexican honey samples examined proved to be good sources of antioxidants and antimicrobial agents that might serve to maintain health and protect against several diseases. The results of the study showed that Mexican honeys display good quality parameters and antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. Mexican honey can be used as an additive in the food industry to increase the nutraceutical value of products. © 2011 Institute of Food Technologists®

Dietary fiber future directions: integrating new definitions and findings to inform nutrition research and communication.

PubMed

Jones, Julie Miller

2013-01-01

The CODEX Alimentarius definition of dietary fiber includes all nondigestible carbohydrate polymers with a degree of polymerization of 3 or more as dietary fiber with the proviso that they show health benefits. The global definition, if accepted by all authoritative bodies, offers a chance for international harmonization in research, food composition tables, and food labeling. Its nonacceptance highlights problems that may develop when definitions vary by region. The definition requires that the research community agrees upon physiological effects for which there is substantial scientific agreement, e.g., fibers' effects on laxation and gut health, on attenuating blood lipids and blood glucose and insulin, and in promoting fermentation in the large bowel. The definition also necessitates the delineation of research protocols to prove the benefits of various isolated and synthesized fibers. These should emanate from evidence-based reviews that fairly weigh epidemiological data while considering that added fibers are not reflected in many food composition databases. They then should include well-controlled, randomized, control trials and utilize animal studies to determine mechanisms. Agreement on many study variables such as the type of subject and the type of baseline diet that best fits the question under investigation will also be needed. Finally, the definition establishes that all types of fiber can address the severe fiber consumption gap that exists throughout the world by recognizing that the combination of fiber-rich and -fortified foods increases fiber intake while allowing consumers to stay within allowed energy levels.

Colorimetric detection of melamine based on p-chlorobenzenesulfonic acid-modified AuNPs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jianfang; Huang, Pengcheng; Wu, Fangying

2016-06-01

A highly selective and sensitive method is developed for colorimetric detection of melamine using gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) functionalized with p-chlorobenzenesulfonic acid. The addition of melamine induced the aggregation of AuNPs, as evidenced from the morphological characterizations and the color changed from red wine to blue, which could also be monitored by the UV-visible spectrometer and even naked eyes. This process caused a significant increase in the absorbance ratio (A650nm/A520nm) of p-chlorobenzenesulfonic acid-AuNPs. Under optimized conditions, the system exhibited a linear response to melamine in the range of 6.0 × 10-7-1.5 × 10-6 mol L-1 with a correlation coefficient of 0.997, and the limit of detection can even be 2.3 nM, which was much lower than some other methods and the safe limits (20 μM in both the USA and EU, 8.0 μM for infant formula in China, 1.2 μM in the CAC (Codex Alimentarius Commission) review for melamine in liquid infant formula). More importantly, the developed method presented excellent tolerance to coexisting common metal ions such as Ca2+, Zn2+, whose concentration is 1000 times of melamine, so that it had been applied to the analysis of melamine in liquid milk and milk powder with the recovery of 97.0-101 % and 100-103 %, respectively, indicating that the proposed method is quite a highly effective means to determine melamine in milk products.

Risk-Based Approach for Microbiological Food Safety Management in the Dairy Industry: The Case of Listeria monocytogenes in Soft Cheese Made from Pasteurized Milk.

PubMed

Tenenhaus-Aziza, Fanny; Daudin, Jean-Jacques; Maffre, Alexandre; Sanaa, Moez

2014-01-01

According to Codex Alimentarius Commission recommendations, management options applied at the process production level should be based on good hygiene practices, HACCP system, and new risk management metrics such as the food safety objective. To follow this last recommendation, the use of quantitative microbiological risk assessment is an appealing approach to link new risk-based metrics to management options that may be applied by food operators. Through a specific case study, Listeria monocytogenes in soft cheese made from pasteurized milk, the objective of the present article is to practically show how quantitative risk assessment could be used to direct potential intervention strategies at different food processing steps. Based on many assumptions, the model developed estimates the risk of listeriosis at the moment of consumption taking into account the entire manufacturing process and potential sources of contamination. From pasteurization to consumption, the amplification of a primo-contamination event of the milk, the fresh cheese or the process environment is simulated, over time, space, and between products, accounting for the impact of management options, such as hygienic operations and sampling plans. A sensitivity analysis of the model will help orientating data to be collected prioritarily for the improvement and the validation of the model. What-if scenarios were simulated and allowed for the identification of major parameters contributing to the risk of listeriosis and the optimization of preventive and corrective measures. © 2013 Society for Risk Analysis.

Real-time polymerase chain reaction-based approach for quantification of the pat gene in the T25 Zea mays event.

PubMed

Weighardt, Florian; Barbati, Cristina; Paoletti, Claudia; Querci, Maddalena; Kay, Simon; De Beuckeleer, Marc; Van den Eede, Guy

2004-01-01

In Europe, a growing interest for reliable techniques for the quantification of genetically modified component(s) of food matrixes is arising from the need to comply with the European legislative framework on novel food products. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is currently the most powerful technique for the quantification of specific nucleic acid sequences. Several real-time PCR methodologies based on different molecular principles have been developed for this purpose. The most frequently used approach in the field of genetically modified organism (GMO) quantification in food or feed samples is based on the 5'-3'-exonuclease activity of Taq DNA polymerase on specific degradation probes (TaqMan principle). A novel approach was developed for the establishment of a TaqMan quantification system assessing GMO contents around the 1% threshold stipulated under European Union (EU) legislation for the labeling of food products. The Zea mays T25 elite event was chosen as a model for the development of the novel GMO quantification approach. The most innovative aspect of the system is represented by the use of sequences cloned in plasmids as reference standards. In the field of GMO quantification, plasmids are an easy to use, cheap, and reliable alternative to Certified Reference Materials (CRMs), which are only available for a few of the GMOs authorized in Europe, have a relatively high production cost, and require further processing to be suitable for analysis. Strengths and weaknesses of the use of novel plasmid-based standards are addressed in detail. In addition, the quantification system was designed to avoid the use of a reference gene (e.g., a single copy, species-specific gene) as normalizer, i.e., to perform a GMO quantification based on an absolute instead of a relative measurement. In fact, experimental evidences show that the use of reference genes adds variability to the measurement system because a second independent real-time PCR-based measurement must be performed. Moreover, for some reference genes no sufficient information on copy number in and among genomes of different lines is available, making adequate quantification difficult. Once developed, the method was subsequently validated according to IUPAC and ISO 5725 guidelines. Thirteen laboratories from 8 EU countries participated in the trial. Eleven laboratories provided results complying with the predefined study requirements. Repeatability (RSDr) values ranged from 8.7 to 15.9%, with a mean value of 12%. Reproducibility (RSDR) values ranged from 16.3 to 25.5%, with a mean value of 21%. Following Codex Alimentarius Committee guidelines, both the limits of detection and quantitation were determined to be <0.1%.

The role of veterinary epidemiology and veterinary services in complying with the World Trade Organization SPS agreement.

PubMed

Zepeda, C; Salman, M; Thiermann, A; Kellar, J; Rojas, H; Willeberg, P

2005-02-01

The agreement on the application of sanitary and phytosanitary measures (SPS agreement) was one of the major products of the GATT's Uruguay round of multilateral trade negotiations, signed in Marrakesh on 15 April 1994. This agreement and others are part of the treaty that established the World Trade Organization (WTO). The WTO superseded the GATT as the umbrella organization for international trade (WTO, 1998a). The SPS agreement's main intent is to provide guidelines and provisions to member countries to facilitate trade while taking measures to protect human, animal or plant life or health. The agreement dictates that all sanitary measures must be scientifically based and not more restrictive than required to avoid the risk identified. The agreement recommends the use of international standards from the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), Codex Alimentarius (CAC) and the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) as the basis for import requirements. If a country chooses to apply more restrictive measures than those in the international standards, it has to justify its position through a risk analysis, thus avoiding the use of sanitary and phytosanitary measures as unjustified barriers to trade. More than ever, veterinary services worldwide are faced with having to fulfill a crucial role in protecting their country's animal health status, provide sound surveillance information on the occurrence of diseases within their territories, and conduct scientifically valid risk analyses to establish justified import requirements. During the past two decades, most countries have experienced resource reduction in their veterinary services. The effect of these policies has been severe, in many cases leading to an inability of veterinary services to conduct their disease prevention and control duties. There is a clear inconsistency between the demands placed on veterinary services and the current level of funding and support they are receiving, particularly in the developing world. This paper analyzes the implications in complying with the SPS agreement and explores the role of veterinary epidemiology in developing viable alternatives that can enhance the veterinary services' ability to perform under the current economic reality. The key provisions of the SPS agreement are regionalization, risk analysis, harmonization, equivalence and transparency. The paper focuses on the contribution of epidemiology in each of these areas in the effective implementation of the SPS agreement.

21 CFR 184.1007 - Aconitic acid.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

...) Assay. Not less than 98.0 percent of C3H3(COOH)3, using the “Food Chemicals Codex,” 4th ed. (1996), pp... carbonizable substances. Passes the test for citric acid of the “Food Chemicals Codex,” 4th ed. (1996), pp. 102... ignition. Not more than 0.1 percent as determined by the “Food Chemicals Codex,” 4th ed. (1996), pp. 102...

21 CFR 184.1007 - Aconitic acid.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

...) Assay. Not less than 98.0 percent of C3H3(COOH)3, using the “Food Chemicals Codex,” 4th ed. (1996), pp... carbonizable substances. Passes the test for citric acid of the “Food Chemicals Codex,” 4th ed. (1996), pp. 102... ignition. Not more than 0.1 percent as determined by the “Food Chemicals Codex,” 4th ed. (1996), pp. 102...

21 CFR 184.1007 - Aconitic acid.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

...) Assay. Not less than 98.0 percent of C3H3(COOH)3, using the “Food Chemicals Codex,” 4th ed. (1996), pp... carbonizable substances. Passes the test for citric acid of the “Food Chemicals Codex,” 4th ed. (1996), pp. 102... ignition. Not more than 0.1 percent as determined by the “Food Chemicals Codex,” 4th ed. (1996), pp. 102...

Screening of veterinary drug residues in food by LC-MS/MS. Background and challenges.

PubMed

Delatour, Thierry; Racault, Lucie; Bessaire, Thomas; Desmarchelier, Aurélien

2018-04-01

Regulatory agencies and government authorities have established maximum residue limits (MRL) in various food matrices of animal origin for supporting governments and food operators in the monitoring of veterinary drug residues in the food chain, and ultimately in the consumer's plate. Today, about 200 veterinary drug residues from several families, mainly with antibiotic, antiparasitic or antiinflammatory activities, are regulated in a variety of food matrices such as milk, meat or egg. This article provides a review of the regulatory framework in milk and muscle including data from Codex Alimentarius, Europe, the U.S.A., Canada and China for about 220 veterinary drugs. The article also provides a comprehensive overview of the challenge for food control, and emphasizes the pivotal role of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), either in tandem with quadrupoles (LC-MS/MS) or high resolution MS (LC-HRMS), for ensuring an adequate consumer protection combined with an affordable cost. The capability of a streamlined LC-MS/MS platform for screening 152 veterinary drug residues in a broad range of raw materials and finished products is highlighted in a production line perspective. The rationale for a suite of four methods intended to achieve appropriate performance in terms of scope and sensitivity is presented. Overall, the platform encompasses one stream for the determination of 105 compounds in a run (based on acidic QuEChERS-like), plus two streams for 23 β-lactams (alkaline QuEChERS-like) and 10 tetracyclines (low-temperature partitioning), respectively, and a dedicated stream for 14 aminoglycosides (molecularly-imprinted polymer).

Sauces, spices, and condiments: definitions, potential benefits, consumption patterns, and global markets.

PubMed

García-Casal, Maria Nieves; Peña-Rosas, Juan Pablo; Malavé, Heber Gómez-

2016-09-01

Spices and condiments are an important part of human history and nutrition, and have played an important role in the development of most cultures around the world. According to the Codex Alimentarius, the category of salts, spices, soups, sauces, salads, and protein products includes substances added to foods to enhance aroma and taste. Spices have been reported to have health benefits as antioxidant, antibiotic, antiviral, anticoagulant, anticarcinogenic, and anti-inflammatory agents. Health claims about the benefits of condiments for disease prevention or health improvement need to be science based and extensively supported by evidence; data on their preventive or protective potential in humans are currently limited. The condiments market has been growing continuously over the last few years, with the quantity of products sold under the category of sauces, dressings, and condiments during the period 2008-2013 increasing from 31,749,000 to 35,795,000 metric tons. About 50 of the 86 spices produced in the world are grown in India. From 2008 to 2013, the United States was the largest importer of spices, followed by Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Russia. The main buyers of fish sauce are Vietnam and Thailand, with purchases of 333,000 and 284,000 metric tons in 2013, respectively. The sauces and condiments category is dynamic, with large differences in consumption in habits and practices among countries. This paper aims to establish definitions and discuss potential health benefits, consumption patterns, and global markets for sauces, spices, and condiments. © 2016 New York Academy of Sciences.

Monitoring of selected pesticides residue levels in water samples of paddy fields and removal of cypermethrin and chlorpyrifos residues from water using rice bran.

PubMed

Bhattacharjee, Shubhra; Fakhruddin, A N M; Chowdhury, M A Z; Rahman, M A; Alam, M K

2012-08-01

Consumption of pesticides associated foods increased in recent decades in Bangladesh. Most of the pesticides come from paddy, as rice is the main food items here and about 70 % pesticides are used only on paddy fields. Water samples of paddy fields and Kaliganga River of Manikganj district were analyzed to provide base line data on cypermethrin, chlorpyrifos and diazinon residue by using high performance liquid chromatography. Levels of Cypermethrin, chlorpyrifos and diazinon detected in the paddy field water samples were (0.605 ± 0.011 μg/L), (0.06 ± 0.001 μg/L) and (0.039 ± 0.002 μg/L), respectively. 0.11 ± 0.003 μg/L of cypermethrin and 0.012 ± 0.0006 μg/L of chlorpyrifos were also identified in the water samples of Kaligonga River. Diazinon residue was not detected in the river water samples. The detected concentrations of pesticide residues in the river water were below the accepted maximum residue limit (MRL) value of drinking water (0.1 μg/l) adopted by the FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission. Cypermethrin and chlorpyrifos were chosen for decontamination through rice bran, as it was found in river water. Two gm rice bran could easily decontaminated 95.6 % and 96.4 % of cypermethrin and chlorpyrifos. The result of this study showed that pesticide residue was detected in water samples were below the MRLs value, which can easily be decontaminated through absorption of rice bran.

Food and nutrition labelling in Thailand: a long march from subsistence producers to international traders

PubMed Central

Rimpeekool, Wimalin; Seubsman, Sam-ang; Banwell, Cathy; Kirk, Martyn; Yiengprugsawan, Vasoontara; Sleigh, Adrian

2015-01-01

This paper reviews the evolution of Thai food and nutrition label policies and Thailand’s international role relating to food product safety and standards. The historical record has been interpreted to identify future trends and challenges related to food labelling. These challenges are arising in Thailand and many similar emerging economies. Thailand has a good reputation in world food markets and is now becoming a global leader in food production and export. It has become deeply involved with regulations and standards applied by World Trade Organization and Codex Alimentarius while serving its own population with a safe and secure food supply. For consumers considering Thai food products, food labels can provide useful nutrition information and help build trust. Thais began a century ago with policies and laws to enhance food safety and to protect Thai consumers. During the lengthy journey from national to global standards Thai food labels have evolved and now contribute to international food labelling policies. This contribution comes from the perspective of a leading middle income south-east Asian food producer now trading with high income countries around the world. The story of that journey – a case study for many other countries in a similar situation – has not previously been told. This article provides information for policy makers dealing with food labelling, embedding trends and tensions for one middle income food exporter in a long history. Information captured here should be helpful for other middle income countries, especially those with limited records. This strategic knowledge will enable better decisions for future policies. PMID:26538793

Towards a unified sampling terminology: clarifying misperceptions.

PubMed

Thiex, Nancy; Paoletii, Claudia; Esbensen, Kim H

2015-01-01

International acceptance of data is a much-desired wish in many sectors to ensure equal standards for valid information and data exchange, facilitate trade, support food safety regulation, and promote reliable communication among all parties involved. However, this cannot be accomplished without a harmonized approach to sampling and a joint approach to assess the practical sampling protocols used. Harmonization based on a nonrepresentative protocol, or on a restricted terminology tradition forced upon other sectors would negate any constructive outcome. An international discussion on a harmonized approach to sampling is severely hampered by a plethora of divergent sampling definitions and terms. Different meanings for the same term are frequently used by the different sectors, and even within one specific sector. In other cases, different terms are used for the same concept. Before efforts to harmonize can be attempted, it is essential that all stakeholders can at least communicate effectively in this context. Therefore, a clear understanding of the main vocabularies becomes an essential prerequisite. As a first step, commonalities and dichotomies in terminology are here brought to attention by providing a comparative summary of the. terminology as defined by the Theory of Sampling {TOS) and those in current use by the International Organization for Standardization, the World Health Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization Codex Alimentarius, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Terms having contradictory meaning to the TOS are emphasized. To the degree possible, we present a successful resolution of some of the most important issues outlined, sufficient to support the objectives of the present Special Section.

Bioinformatics and the allergy assessment of agricultural biotechnology products: industry practices and recommendations.

PubMed

Ladics, Gregory S; Cressman, Robert F; Herouet-Guicheney, Corinne; Herman, Rod A; Privalle, Laura; Song, Ping; Ward, Jason M; McClain, Scott

2011-06-01

Bioinformatic tools are being increasingly utilized to evaluate the degree of similarity between a novel protein and known allergens within the context of a larger allergy safety assessment process. Importantly, bioinformatics is not a predictive analysis that can determine if a novel protein will ''become" an allergen, but rather a tool to assess whether the protein is a known allergen or is potentially cross-reactive with an existing allergen. Bioinformatic tools are key components of the 2009 CodexAlimentarius Commission's weight-of-evidence approach, which encompasses a variety of experimental approaches for an overall assessment of the allergenic potential of a novel protein. Bioinformatic search comparisons between novel protein sequences, as well as potential novel fusion sequences derived from the genome and transgene, and known allergens are required by all regulatory agencies that assess the safety of genetically modified (GM) products. The objective of this paper is to identify opportunities for consensus in the methods of applying bioinformatics and to outline differences that impact a consistent and reliable allergy safety assessment. The bioinformatic comparison process has some critical features, which are outlined in this paper. One of them is a curated, publicly available and well-managed database with known allergenic sequences. In this paper, the best practices, scientific value, and food safety implications of bioinformatic analyses, as they are applied to GM food crops are discussed. Recommendations for conducting bioinformatic analysis on novel food proteins for potential cross-reactivity to known allergens are also put forth. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[New international initiatives to create systems of effective risk prediction and food safety].

PubMed

Efimochkinal, N R; Bagryantseva, E C; Dupouy, E C; Khotimchenko, S A; Permyakov, E V; Sheveleva, S A; Arnautov, O V

2016-01-01

Ensuring food safety is one of the most important problems that is directly related to health protection of the population. The problem is particularly relevant on aglobalscale because ofincreasingnumberoffood-borne diseases andimportance of the health consequence early detection. In accordance with the position of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, food safety concept also includes quality. In this case, creation of the national, supranational and international early warning systems related to the food safety, designed with the purpose to prevent or minimize risks on different stages of the food value chain in various countries, regions and climate zones specific to national nutrition and lifestyle in different groups of population, gains particular importance. The article describes the principles and working examples of international, supranational and national food safety early warning systems. Great importance is given to the hazards of microbial origin - emergent pathogens. Example of the rapid reaction to the appearance of cases, related to the melanin presence in infant formula, are presented. Analysis of the current food safety and quality control system in Russian Federation shows that main improvements are mostly related to the development of the efficient monitoring, diagnostics and rapid alert procedures forfood safety on interregional and international levels that will allow to estimate real contamination of food with the most dangerous pathogens, chemical and biological contaminants, and the development of the electronic database and scientifically proved algorithms for food safety and quality management for targeted prevention activities against existing and emerging microbiological and other etiology risks, and public health protection.

Application of quantitative microbial risk assessments for estimation of risk management metrics: Clostridium perfringens in ready-to-eat and partially cooked meat and poultry products as an example.

PubMed

Crouch, Edmund A; Labarre, David; Golden, Neal J; Kause, Janell R; Dearfield, Kerry L

2009-10-01

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service is exploring quantitative risk assessment methodologies to incorporate the use of the Codex Alimentarius' newly adopted risk management metrics (e.g., food safety objectives and performance objectives). It is suggested that use of these metrics would more closely tie the results of quantitative microbial risk assessments (QMRAs) to public health outcomes. By estimating the food safety objective (the maximum frequency and/or concentration of a hazard in a food at the time of consumption) and the performance objective (the maximum frequency and/or concentration of a hazard in a food at a specified step in the food chain before the time of consumption), risk managers will have a better understanding of the appropriate level of protection (ALOP) from microbial hazards for public health protection. We here demonstrate a general methodology that allows identification of an ALOP and evaluation of corresponding metrics at appropriate points in the food chain. It requires a two-dimensional probabilistic risk assessment, the example used being the Monte Carlo QMRA for Clostridium perfringens in ready-to eat and partially cooked meat and poultry products, with minor modifications to evaluate and abstract required measures. For demonstration purposes, the QMRA model was applied specifically to hot dogs produced and consumed in the United States. Evaluation of the cumulative uncertainty distribution for illness rate allows a specification of an ALOP that, with defined confidence, corresponds to current industry practices.

Mathematical accuracy of Aztec land surveys assessed from records in the Codex Vergara

PubMed Central

Williams, Barbara J.; Garza-Hume, C. E.; Olvera, Arturo

2011-01-01

Land surveying in ancient states is documented not only for Eurasia but also for the Americas, amply attested by two Acolhua–Aztec pictorial manuscripts from the Valley of Mexico. The Codex Vergara and the Códice de Santa María Asunción consist of hundreds of drawings of agricultural fields that uniquely record surface areas as well as perimeter measurements. A previous study of the Codex Vergara examines how Acolhua–Aztecs determined field area by reconstructing their calculation procedures. Here we evaluate the accuracy of their area values using modern mathematics. The findings verify the overall mathematical validity of the codex records. Three-quarters of the areas are within 5% of the maximum possible value, and 85% are within 10%, which compares well with reported errors by Western surveyors that postdate Aztec–Acolhua work by several centuries. PMID:21876138

Mathematical accuracy of Aztec land surveys assessed from records in the Codex Vergara.

PubMed

Jorge, María del Carmen; Williams, Barbara J; Garza-Hume, C E; Olvera, Arturo

2011-09-13

Land surveying in ancient states is documented not only for Eurasia but also for the Americas, amply attested by two Acolhua-Aztec pictorial manuscripts from the Valley of Mexico. The Codex Vergara and the Códice de Santa María Asunción consist of hundreds of drawings of agricultural fields that uniquely record surface areas as well as perimeter measurements. A previous study of the Codex Vergara examines how Acolhua-Aztecs determined field area by reconstructing their calculation procedures. Here we evaluate the accuracy of their area values using modern mathematics. The findings verify the overall mathematical validity of the codex records. Three-quarters of the areas are within 5% of the maximum possible value, and 85% are within 10%, which compares well with reported errors by Western surveyors that postdate Aztec-Acolhua work by several centuries.

Health claim evidence requirements in Japan.

PubMed

Yamada, Kazuhiko; Sato-Mito, Natsuko; Nagata, Junichi; Umegaki, Keizo

2008-06-01

In the early 1980s the Japanese scientific academy defined a functional food as a food having a tertiary or physiologically active function. The current Japanese "Food with Health Claims" include 2 categories. For the first category, "Food with Nutrient Function Claims," the label may be freely used if a product satisfies the standard for the minimum and maximum levels per daily portion usually consumed. The second category is defined as "Food for Specified Health Uses" (FOSHU). FOSHU foods are those that contain dietary ingredients that have beneficial effects on the physiological functions of the human body, maintain and promote health, and improve health-related conditions. Health claims on these foods correspond to the category of "other" function claims of the Codex Alimentarius. However, claims of disease-risk reduction are not currently allowed under FOSHU with an exception for calcium and folic acid. Manufacturers can emphasize the characteristics of their products and promote sales by labeling or claims. Therefore, the labeling should be clear and correct and avoid any chance of misinterpretation. The labeling of health claims on foods should always be based on scientific evidence. Any manufacturer who applies to the government for approval under the FOSHU code for its product must tabulate both published available publications and internal reports on the effectiveness of the product and/or its ingredients and provide a summary of each available publication or report. The tabulation must include in vitro metabolic and biochemical studies, in vivo studies, and randomized controlled trials on Japanese people. The overall philosophy of the Ministry is to maintain and improve the health status of people and to prevent chronic noncommunicable diseases through an approach that involves a well-balanced diet as well as through the use of "health foods" including "Food with Health Claims."

Arsenic: bioaccessibility from seaweed and rice, dietary exposure calculations and risk assessment.

PubMed

Brandon, Esther F A; Janssen, Paul J C M; de Wit-Bos, Lianne

2014-01-01

Arsenic is a metalloid that occurs in food and the environment in different chemical forms. Inorganic arsenic is classified as a class I carcinogen. The inorganic arsenic intake from food and drinking water varies depending on the geographic arsenic background. Non-dietary exposure to arsenic is likely to be of minor importance for the general population within the European Union. In Europe, arsenic in drinking water is on average low, but food products (e.g. rice and seaweed) are imported from all over the world including from regions with naturally high arsenic levels. Therefore, specific populations living in Europe could also have a high exposure to inorganic arsenic due to their consumption pattern. Current risk assessment is based on exposure via drinking water. For a good estimation of the risks of arsenic in food, it is important to investigate if the bioavailability of inorganic arsenic from food is different from drinking water. The present study further explores the issue of European dietary exposure to inorganic arsenic via rice and seaweed and its associated health risks. The bioavailability of inorganic arsenic was measured in in vitro digestion experiments. The data indicate that the bioavailability of inorganic arsenic is similar for rice and seaweed compared with drinking water. The calculated dietary intake for specific European Union populations varied between 0.44 and 4.51 µg kg⁻¹ bw day⁻¹. The margins of exposure between the inorganic intake levels and the BMDL0.5 values as derived by JECFA are low. Decreasing the intake of inorganic arsenic via Hijiki seaweed could be achieved by setting legal limits similar to those set for rice by the Codex Alimentarius Commission in July 2014.

Nutrition labelling is a trade policy issue: lessons from an analysis of specific trade concerns at the World Trade Organization.

PubMed

Thow, Anne Marie; Jones, Alexandra; Hawkes, Corinna; Ali, Iqra; Labonté, Ronald

2017-01-12

Interpretive nutrition labels provide simplified nutrient-specific text and/or symbols on the front of pre-packaged foods, to encourage and enable consumers to make healthier choices. This type of labelling has been proposed as part of a comprehensive policy response to the global epidemic of non-communicable diseases. However, regulation of nutrition labelling falls under the remit of not just the health sector but also trade. Specific Trade Concerns have been raised at the World Trade Organization's Technical Barriers to Trade Committee regarding interpretive nutrition labelling initiatives in Thailand, Chile, Indonesia, Peru and Ecuador. This paper presents an analysis of the discussions of these concerns. Although nutrition labelling was identified as a legitimate policy objective, queries were raised regarding the justification of the specific labelling measures proposed, and the scientific evidence for effectiveness of such measures. Concerns were also raised regarding the consistency of the measures with international standards. Drawing on policy learning theory, we identified four lessons for public health policy makers, including: strategic framing of nutrition labelling policy objectives; pro-active policy engagement between trade and health to identify potential trade issues; identifying ways to minimize potential 'practical' trade concerns; and engagement with the Codex Alimentarius Commission to develop international guidance on interpretative labelling. This analysis indicates that while there is potential for trade sector concerns to stifle innovation in nutrition labelling policy, care in how interpretive nutrition labelling measures are crafted in light of trade commitments can minimize such a risk and help ensure that trade policy is coherent with nutrition action. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

A survey of total hydrocyanic acid content in ready-to-eat cassava-based chips obtained in the Australian market in 2008.

PubMed

Miles, David; Jansson, Edward; Mai, My Chi; Azer, Mounir; Day, Peter; Shadbolt, Craig; Stitt, Victoria; Kiermeier, Andreas; Szabo, Elizabeth

2011-06-01

Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is a widely consumed food in the tropics that naturally contains cyanogenic glycosides (cyanogens, mainly composed of linamarin, acetone cyanohydrin, and hydrocyanic acid). If cassava is not adequately processed to reduce the level of cyanogens prior to consumption, these compounds can lead to the formation of hydrocyanic acid in the gut. Exposure to hydrocyanic acid can cause symptoms ranging from vomiting and abdominal pain to coma and death. In 2008, a survey of ready-to-eat (RTE) cassava-based snack foods was undertaken to determine levels of cyanogens measured as total hydrocyanic acid. This survey was undertaken in response to the New South Wales Food Authority being alerted to the detection of elevated levels of cyanogens in an RTE cassava-based snack food. This survey took 374 samples of RTE cassava chips available in the Australian marketplace. Significant variation in the levels of total hydrocyanic acid were observed in the 317 samples testing positive for cyanogens, with levels ranging from 13 to 165 mg of HCN equivalents per kg (mean value, 64.2 mg of HCN eq/kg for positive samples). The results from this survey serve as a timely warning for manufacturers of RTE cassava chips and other cassava-based snack foods to ensure there is tight control over the levels of cyanogens in the cassava ingredient. Evidence from this survey contributed to an amendment to the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code, which now prescribes a maximum level for hydrocyanic acid in RTE cassava chips of 10 mg of HCN eq/kg, which aligns with the Codex Alimentarius Commission international standard for edible cassava flour.

Dissipation pattern of flubendiamide residues on capsicum fruit (Capsicum annuum L.) under field and controlled environmental conditions.

PubMed

Buddidathi, Radhika; Mohapatra, Soudamini; Siddamallaiah, Lekha; Manikrao, Gourishankar; Hebbar, Shibara Shankara

2016-01-01

This investigation was undertaken to compare the dissipation pattern of flubendiamide in capsicum fruits under poly-house and open field after giving spray applications at the recommended and double doses of 48 g a.i. ha(-1) and 96 g a.i. ha(-1). Extraction and purification of capsicum fruit samples were carried out by the QuEChERS method. Residues of flubendiamide and its metabolite, des-iodo flubendiamide, were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array, and confirmed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry. Limit of quantification of the method was 0.05 mg kg(-1), and recovery of the insecticides was in the range of 89.6-104.3%, with relative standard deviation being 4.5-11.5%. The measurement uncertainty of the analytical method was in the range of 10.7-15.7%. Initial residue deposits of flubendiamide on capsicum fruits grown under poly-house conditions were (0.977 and 1.834 mg kg(-1)) higher than that grown in the field (0.665 and 1.545 mg kg(-1)). Flubendiamide residues persisted for 15 days in field-grown and for 25 days in poly-house-grown capsicum fruits. The residues were degraded with the half-lives of 4.3-4.7 and 5.6-6.6 days in field and poly-house respectively. Des-iodo flubendiamide was not detected in capsicum fruits or soil. The residues of flubendiamide degraded to below the maximum residue limit notified by Codex Alimentarius Commission (FAO/WHO) after 1 and 6 days in open field, and 3 and 10 days in poly-house. The results of the study indicated that flubendiamide applied to capsicum under controlled environmental conditions required longer pre-harvest interval to allow its residues to dissipate to the safe level.

Ractopamine analysis in pig kidney, liver and lungs: A validation of the method scope extension using QuEChERS as a sample preparation step.

PubMed

Feddern, Vivian; Aroeira, Carolina Naves; Molognoni, Luciano; Gressler, Vanessa; Daguer, Heitor; Dalla Costa, Osmar Antonio; Castillo, Carmen Josefina Contreras; de Lima, Gustavo Julio Mello Monteiro

2018-05-23

Ractopamine has been allowed by some countries as a repartitioning additive in pig diet, since it promotes protein synthesis and fat lipolysis. Most regulatory agencies only propose the ractopamine assessment in meat, kidney, liver and fat. Aiming at contributing to the scarcity data regarding this analyte in pig lungs, we extended the scope of a LC-MS method to evaluate pig offals. Homogenized tissue samples were extracted by a QuEChERS procedure; following by clean up steps and further tandem mass spectrometry determination. Method performance was evaluated through specificity, recovery, linearity, reproducibility, repeatability, decision limit (CC α ), and detection capability (CC β ), in accordance to the Commission Decision 2002/657/EC. Regression coefficients (R 2 ) between 0.994 and 0.999 were achieved for kidney, liver and lungs. Recoveries ranged from 92.0 to 127%. CC α and CC β values ranged from 3.65 to 4.86 μg kg -1 , and from 6.27 to 7.21 μg kg -1 , respectively. These values were under the maximum residue limits suggested by Codex Alimentarius, which are 90 and 40 μg kg -1 for kidney and liver, respectively. When applied to real samples up to 22.5, 92 and 1003 μg kg -1 of ractopamine residues were detected in pig liver, kidney and lungs, respectively. The results allowed concluding that the proposed analytical method is capable to detect ractopamine residues in all evaluated matrices. Therefore, it can be successfully applied and used as a routine method in laboratories of residue analysis. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Review of various approaches for assessing public health risks in regulatory decision making: choosing the right approach for the problem.

PubMed

Dearfield, Kerry L; Hoelzer, Karin; Kause, Janell R

2014-08-01

Stakeholders in the public health risk analysis community can possess differing opinions about what is meant by "conduct a risk assessment." In reality, there is no one-size-fits-all risk assessment that can address all public health issues, problems, and regulatory needs. Although several international and national organizations (e.g., Codex Alimentarius Commission, Office International des Epizooties, Food and Agricultural Organization, World Health Organization, National Research Council, and European Food Safety Authority) have addressed this issue, confusion remains. The type and complexity of a risk assessment must reflect the risk management needs to appropriately inform a regulatory or nonregulatory decision, i.e., a risk assessment is ideally "fit for purpose" and directly applicable to risk management issues of concern. Frequently however, there is a lack of understanding by those not completely familiar with risk assessment regarding the specific utility of different approaches for assessing public health risks. This unfamiliarity can unduly hamper the acceptance of risk assessment results by risk managers and may reduce the usefulness of such results for guiding public health policies, practices, and operations. Differences in interpretation of risk assessment terminology further complicate effective communication among risk assessors, risk managers, and stakeholders. This article provides an overview of the types of risk assessments commonly conducted, with examples primarily from the food and agricultural sectors, and a discussion of the utility and limitations of these specific approaches for assessing public health risks. Clarification of the risk management issues and corresponding risk assessment design needs during the formative stages of the risk analysis process is a key step for ensuring that the most appropriate assessment of risk is developed and used to guide risk management decisions.

[The system of the quality control and the safety of baby food, the prospects of its development].

PubMed

Georgieva, O V; Konovalova, L S; Kon', I Ya

In the article there is considered the substantiation of raise demands to the chemical composition of children’s food and indices of their safety, with taking into account the immaturity of metabolic and physiological processes and limitations of “depot” of nutrients in babies. Based on research results of leading experts in the field of children’s nutritiology and according to the recommendations of the Codex Alimentarius of the Commission of FAO/WHO, ESPGHAN Committee on Nutrition, the EFSA recommendations and EUDirectives there were specified requirements for the ingredient composition, content of essential components and indices of the nutritional value of substitutes for human milk and functional products for the nutrition of infants of the first year of life. There are shown stages of the development of the Russian system of hygienic requirements for baby food, and the direction of its harmonization with international and European standards, particularly for substitutes for human milk and products of dietary therapeutic and dietary preventive nutrition for babies. There are considered aspects of the introduction ofproducts and weaning food dishes into the food ration of infants. There is presented the classification ofproducts of children’s food and the assortment of each group of weaning foods. There is provided the modern legislative framework in the field of the quality and safety for infant nutrition. There was shown the difference between domestic legislation and regulatory framework of the EurAsEC Customs Union of the European countries in the field offood products safety for children older three years. There are presented proposals on the creation of the single regulatory base within the framework of the EurAsEC Customs Union for control the quality and safety of all the baby foods.

[Advertising and feeding: influence of graphical advertisements on dietary habits during childhood and adolescence].

PubMed

Menéndez García, R A; Franco Díez, F J

2009-01-01

An optimal nutritional diet, especially during the infancy and adolescence, is an important social objective, to create habits and behaviours that will maintain during the adult life of the present children. The objective of this study is to collect and evaluate the publicity of nutritional products and how this is directed to children, before the approval of the codex of regulation of the publicity of nutritional products as directed to minors, prevention of obesity and health (codex PAOS) and after the start of the codex. SETTING, MATERIALS AND METHODS: To watch and collect data from commercials of nutritional products, such as transmitted by television during the infant programs. The obtained results show a great discrepancy between the diet constituted by the commercials for nutritional products and a diet, normally recommended for children. Besides this, nos changes in the commercials were noticed after the start of the codex. The commercials for nutritional products with a very high caloric value are transmitted to children during the infant programs are not appropriate for an optimal diet. The start of the Codex PAOS did not have much effect in the amount and quality of the commercials of nutritional products, such as directed to the infant public.

Lactobacillus alimentarius sp. nov., nom rev. and Lactobacillus farciminis sp. nov., nom. rev.

PubMed

Reuter, G

1983-01-01

In 1970 two new species within the so-called subgenus "Streptobacterium" Orla-Jensen of the genus Lactobacillus were described (Reuter, 1970). They were named L. alimentarius with the type strain "R 13" (DSM 20249) and L. farciminis with the type strain "Rv 4na" (DSM 20184). Since these two names have so far not been included in the "Approved Lists of Bacterial Names" (Skerman et al., 1980) they are revived for the same organisms with the same type strains. Copyright © 1983 Gustav Fischer Verlag, Stuttgart/New York. Published by Elsevier GmbH.. All rights reserved.

Aztec homosexuality: the textual evidence.

PubMed

Kimball, G

1993-01-01

Male and female homosexuality among the Aztecs during the period immediately prior to the Spanish Conquest has been studied infrequently, even though a Nahuatl document, the Florentine Codex, written shortly after the Spanish Conquest, contains a number of texts on the subject. The Florentine Codex has been translated into English; however, the translators use biased and erroneous translations in the sections of the manuscript which mention homosexuality, and the actual meaning is unavailable to anyone who does not know Nahuatl. This paper is a new translation and an introductory study of the available texts on homosexuality in the Florentine Codex. The attitudes of the Aztecs toward homosexual men and women can be inferred from these texts, and there are tantalizing fragments which given an indication of how homosexuality fit into Aztec society.

Centerband-only-detection-of-exchange (31)P nuclear magnetic resonance and phospholipid lateral diffusion: theory, simulation and experiment.

PubMed

Lai, Angel; Saleem, Qasim; Macdonald, Peter M

2015-10-14

Centerband-only-detection-of-exchange (CODEX) (31)P NMR lateral diffusion measurements were performed on dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) assembled into large unilamellar spherical vesicles. Optimization of sample and NMR acquisition conditions provided significant sensitivity enhancements relative to an earlier first report (Q. Saleem, A. Lai, H. Morales, and P. M. Macdonald, Chem. Phys. Lipids, 2012, 165, 721). An analytical description was developed that permitted the extraction of lateral diffusion coefficients from CODEX data, based on a Gaussian-diffusion-on-a-sphere model (A. Ghosh, J. Samuel, and S. Sinha, Europhys. Lett., 2012, 98, 30003-p1) as relevant to CODEX (31)P NMR measurements on a population of spherical unilamellar phospholipid bilayer vesicles displaying a distribution of vesicle radii.

Application of image processing technology to problems in manuscript encapsulation. [Codex Hammer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Glackin, D. L.; Korsmo, E. P.

1983-01-01

The long term effects of encapsulation individual sheets of the Codex Hammer were investigated. The manuscript was simulated with similar sheets of paper which were photographed under repeatable raking light conditions to enhance their surface texture, encapsulated in plexiglas, cycled in an environmental test chamber, and rephotographed at selected intervals. The film images were digitized, contrast enhanced, geometrically registered, and apodized. An FFT analysis of a control sheet and two experimental sheets indicates no micro-burnishing, but reveals that the ""mesoscale'' deformations with sizes 8mm are degrading monotonically, which is of no concern. Difference image analysis indicates that the sheets were increasingly stressed with time and that the plexiglas did not provide a sufficient environmental barrier under the simulation conditions. The relationship of these results to the Codex itself is to be determined.

Nutrient reference value: non-communicable disease endpoints--a conference report.

PubMed

Lupton, J R; Blumberg, J B; L'Abbe, M; LeDoux, M; Rice, H B; von Schacky, C; Yaktine, A; Griffiths, J C

2016-03-01

Nutrition is complex-and seemingly getting more complicated. Most consumers are familiar with "essential nutrients," e.g., vitamins and minerals, and more recently protein and important amino acids. These essential nutrients have nutrient reference values, referred to as dietary reference intakes (DRIs) developed by consensus committees of scientific experts convened by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and carried out by the Food and Nutrition Board. The DRIs comprise a set of four nutrient-based reverence values, the estimated average requirements, the recommended dietary allowances (RDAs), the adequate intakes and the tolerable upper intake levels for micronutrient intakes and an acceptable macronutrient distribution range for macronutrient intakes. From the RDA, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) derives a labeling value called the daily value (DV), which appears on the nutrition label of all foods for sale in the US. The DRI reports do not make recommendations about whether the DV labeling values can be set only for what have been defined to date as "essential nutrients." For example, the FDA set a labeling value for "dietary fiber" without having the DV. Nutrient reference values-requirements are set by Codex Alimentarius for essential nutrients, and regulatory bodies in many countries use these Codex values in setting national policy for recommended dietary intakes. However, the focus of this conference is not on essential nutrients, but on the "nonessential nutrients," also termed dietary bioactive components. They can be defined as "Constituents in foods or dietary supplements, other than those needed to meet basic human nutritional needs, which are responsible for changes in health status (Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office of Public Health and Science, Department of Health and Human Services in Fed Regist 69:55821-55822, 2004)." Substantial and often persuasive scientific evidence does exist to confirm a relationship between the intake of a specific bioactive constituent and enhanced health conditions or reduced risk of a chronic disease. Further, research on the putative mechanisms of action of various classes of bioactives is supported by national and pan-national government agencies, and academic institutions, as well as functional food and dietary supplement manufacturers. Consumers are becoming educated and are seeking to purchase products containing bioactives, yet there is no evaluative process in place to let the public know how strong the science is behind the benefits or the quantitative amounts needed to achieve these beneficial health effects or to avoid exceeding the upper level (UL). When one lacks an essential nutrient, overt deficiency with concomitant physiological determents and eventually death are expected. The absence of bioactive substances from the diet results in suboptimal health, e.g., poor cellular and/or physiological function, which is relative and not absolute. Regrettably at this time, there is no DRI process to evaluate bioactives, although a recent workshop convened by the National Institutes of Health (Options for Consideration of Chronic Disease Endpoints for Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs); March 10-11, 2015; http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dri/ ) did explore the process to develop DVs for nutrients, the lack of which result in increased risk of chronic disease (non-communicable disease) endpoints. A final report is expected soon. This conference (CRN-International Scientific Symposium; "Nutrient Reference Value-Non-Communicable Disease (NRV-NCD) Endpoints," 20 November in Kronberg, Germany; http://www.crn-i.ch/2015symposium/ ) explores concepts related to the Codex NRV process, the public health opportunities in setting NRVs for bioactive constituents, and further research and details on the specific class of bioactives, n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (also termed omega-3 fatty acids) and their constituents, specifically docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid.

Metal contamination of home garden soils and cultivated vegetables in the province of Brescia, Italy: implications for human exposure.

PubMed

Ferri, Roberta; Hashim, Dana; Smith, Donald R; Guazzetti, Stefano; Donna, Filippo; Ferretti, Enrica; Curatolo, Michele; Moneta, Caterina; Beone, Gian Maria; Lucchini, Roberto G

2015-06-15

For the past century, ferroalloy industries in Brescia province, Italy produced particulate emissions enriched in manganese (Mn), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), iron (Fe), and aluminum (Al). This study assessed metal concentrations in soil and vegetables of regions with varying ferroalloy industrial activity levels. Home gardens (n=63) were selected in three regions of varying ferroalloy plant activity durations in Brescia province. Total soil metal concentration and extractability were measured by X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF), aqua regia extraction, and modified Community Bureau of Reference (BCR) sequential extraction. Unwashed and washed spinach and turnips cultivated in the same gardens were analyzed for metal concentrations by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. Median soil Al, Cd, Fe, Mn, Pb, and Zn concentrations were significantly higher in home gardens near ferroalloy plants compared to reference home gardens. The BCR method yielded the most mobile soil fraction (the sum of extractable metals in Fractions 1 and 2) and all metal concentrations were higher in ferroalloy plant areas. Unwashed spinach showed higher metal concentrations compared to washed spinach. However, some metals in washed spinach were higher in the reference area likely due to history of agricultural product use. Over 60% of spinach samples exceeded the 2- to 4-fold Commission of European Communities and Codex Alimentarius Commission maximum Pb concentrations, and 10% of the same spinach samples exceeded 2- to 3-fold maximum Cd concentrations set by both organizations. Turnip metal concentrations were below maximum standard reference values. Prolonged industrial emissions increase median metal concentrations and most soluble fractions (BCR F1+F2) in home garden soils near ferroalloy plants. Areas near ferroalloy plant sites had spinach Cd and Pb metal concentrations several-fold above maximum standard references. We recommend thorough washing of vegetables to minimize metal exposure. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Opinions on Fresh Produce Food Safety and Quality Standards by Fresh Produce Supply Chain Experts from the Global South and North.

PubMed

Jacxsens, Liesbeth; Van Boxstael, Sigrid; Nanyunja, Jessica; Jordaan, Danie; Luning, Pieternel; Uyttendaele, Mieke

2015-10-01

This study describes the results of an on-line survey of fresh produce supply chain experts who work with producers from the Global North (n = 41, 20 countries) and the Global South (n = 63, 29 countries). They expressed their opinion using 1 to 5 Likert scales on several items related to four types of food safety and quality standards and legislation: Codex Alimentarius standards, European Union legislation, national legislation, and private standards. The results reflect the different circumstances under which the Southern and Northern producers operate in relation to the local organization, regulation, and support of the sector; but they also indicate similar challenges, in particular, the challenge of private standards, which were perceived to demand a higher implementation effort than the other three types of standards. Private standards were also strongly perceived to exclude Southern and Northern small- and medium-scale producers from high-value markets, whereas European Union legislation was perceived to strongly exclude, in particular, small- and medium-scale Southern producers. The results further highlight concerns about costly control measures and third-party certification that are required by downstream buyers but that are mostly paid for by upstream suppliers. Food standards are seen in their dual role as a catalyst for implementation of structured food safety management systems on the one hand and as a nontariff barrier to trade on the other hand. The results of the survey also pointed up the advantages of enforcing food safety and food quality standards in terms of knowledge spillover to noncertified activities, increased revenues, and improved food safety of delivered produce. Survey results highlight the importance of technical assistance and support of producers by governments and producer cooperatives or trade associations in the implementation and certification of food standards, along with increased awareness of and training of individuals in food protection practices to ensure food safety.

[Food fortified with vitamins: the history and perspectives].

PubMed

Kodentsova, V M; Vrzhesinskaia, O A; Sokol'nikov, A A

2012-01-01

The recommended daily intakes of vitamins in different countries have been compared. The data on consumption of vitamins and vitamin status are submitted. It is noted that since 2008 the values of recommended daily intakes of vitamin-antioxidants C and E and folate in Russia as in other countries has been significantly increased. The recommended vitamin D consumption in Russia has been increased 2-3-fold as in most European countries and USA, while vitamin A recommended intake, on the contrary, has been reduced by 10%. Monitoring of vitamin status of various groups of adult population (by vitamin serum blood level evaluation) during the period since 2003 to 2011 has shown that that since 2003 deficiency of B group vitamins takes place in 10-47% of surveyed, vitamin D insufficiency was detected in 20.7% of adults. Thus the deficiency of these micronutrients has been determined much more often than the deficit of vitamins E and C (2.8-11%). The key causes of vitamin deficiency among the population in current conditions have been discussed. The main ways of increasing of diet vitamin value by means of fortified foods usage or/and vitamin and mineral complexes intake have been considered. The effective and safe levels of food enrichment have been examined. Harmonized with the EU documents and Codex Alimentarius acting sanitary rules and regulations which govern the enrichment of food products of mass consumption with vitamins and minerals have been commented upon. The history of food enrichment (fortification) with vitamins and salt iodization in our country and abroad has been described. Basing on the experience of several countries in which the mandatory enrichment of regularly consumed food products (flour, breakfast cereals) had compensated inadequate intake of vitamin D, group B, iodine and iron to a large extent, the conclusion on the feasibility and health benefits of fortified foods intake has been done.

[Agricultural biotechnology safety assessment].

PubMed

McClain, Scott; Jones, Wendelyn; He, Xiaoyun; Ladics, Gregory; Bartholomaeus, Andrew; Raybould, Alan; Lutter, Petra; Xu, Haibin; Wang, Xue

2015-01-01

Genetically modified (GM) crops were first introduced to farmers in 1995 with the intent to provide better crop yield and meet the increasing demand for food and feed. GM crops have evolved to include a thorough safety evaluation for their use in human food and animal feed. Safety considerations begin at the level of DNA whereby the inserted GM DNA is evaluated for its content, position and stability once placed into the crop genome. The safety of the proteins coded by the inserted DNA and potential effects on the crop are considered, and the purpose is to ensure that the transgenic novel proteins are safe from a toxicity, allergy, and environmental perspective. In addition, the grain that provides the processed food or animal feed is also tested to evaluate its nutritional content and identify unintended effects to the plant composition when warranted. To provide a platform for the safety assessment, the GM crop is compared to non-GM comparators in what is typically referred to as composition equivalence testing. New technologies, such as mass spectrometry and well-designed antibody-based methods, allow better analytical measurements of crop composition, including endogenous allergens. Many of the analytical methods and their intended uses are based on regulatory guidance documents, some of which are outlined in globally recognized documents such as Codex Alimentarius. In certain cases, animal models are recommended by some regulatory agencies in specific countries, but there is typically no hypothesis or justification of their use in testing the safety of GM crops. The quality and standardization of testing methods can be supported, in some cases, by employing good laboratory practices (GLP) and is recognized in China as important to ensure quality data. Although the number of recommended, in some cases, required methods for safety testing are increasing in some regulatory agencies, it should be noted that GM crops registered to date have been shown to be comparable to their nontransgenic counterparts and safe . The crops upon which GM development are based are generally considered safe.

Determination of endrin and δ-keto endrin in five food products of animal origin using GC-μECD: A modified QuEChERS approach to traditional detection.

PubMed

Rahman, Md Musfiqur; Lee, Han Sol; Abd El-Aty, A M; Kabir, Md Humayun; Chung, Hyung Suk; Park, Jong-Hyouk; Kim, Mi-Ra; Kim, Ji-Hyun; Shin, Ho-Chul; Shin, Sung Shik; Shim, Jae-Han

2018-10-15

A simple quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS)-based method was developed for the analysis of endrin and its metabolite, δ-keto endrin, in five animal-derived food products (chicken, pork, beef, egg, and milk) using a gas chromatography-micro electron capture detector (GC-μECD). Samples were extracted with acidified acetonitrile, salted out with magnesium sulfate and sodium acetate, and finally purified with a dual layer solid-phase extraction cartridge (SPE) that contains both Supelclean ENVI-Carb (upper layer) and primary secondary amine (lower layer) SPE sorbents. A seven-point external calibration curve was constructed both for the solvent and matrix for both compounds. Good linearity was achieved for both analytes, with coefficients of determination (R 2 ) ≥ 0.9960. The limits of detection (LODs) were 0.003 mg/kg, whereas the limits of quantification (LOQ) were 0.01 mg/kg, which were 10 times lower than the extraneous maximum residue limit (EMRL) designated by CODEX Alimentarius for the specified matrices. The method was validated via recovery performances in triplicates, with three fortification levels equivalent to LOQ, 2 × LOQ, and 10 × LOQ. The method provided excellent recoveries, ranging between 75.63 and 117.92%, with relative standard deviations (RSD) ≤ 8.52% for both analytes in various matrices. The developed method was successfully applied to monitor market samples collected from 20 different places throughout the Republic of Korea, and none of the tested analytes were found in the analyzed samples. Conclusively, we could propose that the current method can be used for routine analysis of endrin and δ-keto endrin in any type of fatty food matrix. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Metal contamination of home gardens soils and cultivated vegetables in the province of Brescia, Italy: Implications for human exposure

PubMed Central

Ferri, Roberta; Hashim, Dana; Smith, Donald R.; Guazzetti, Stefano; Donna, Filippo; Ferretti, Enrica; Curatolo, Michele; Moneta, Caterina; Beone, Gian Maria; Lucchini, Roberto G.

2015-01-01

Background For the past century, ferroalloy industries in Brescia province, Italy produced particulate emissions enriched in manganese (Mn), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), iron (Fe), aluminum (Al). This study assessed metal concentrations in soil and vegetables of regions with varying ferroalloy industrial activity levels. Methods Home gardens (n=63) were selected in three regions of varying ferroalloy plant activity duration in Brescia province. Total soil metal concentration and extractability were measured by X-ray fluorescence (XRF), aqua regia extraction, and modified Community Bureau of Reference (BCR) sequential extraction. Unwashed and washed spinach and turnips cultivated in the same gardens were analyzed for metal concentrations by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. Results Median soil Al, Cd, Fe, Mn, Pb, and Zn concentrations were significantly higher in home gardens near ferroalloy plants compared to reference home gardens. The BCR method yielded the most mobile soil fraction (the sum of extractable metals in Fractions 1 and 2) and all metal concentrations were higher in ferroalloy plant areas. Unwashed spinach showed higher metal concentrations compared to washed spinach. However, some metals in washed spinach were higher in the reference area likely due to history of agricultural product use. Over 60% of spinach samples exceeded the 2- to 4-fold Commission of European Communities and Codex Alimentarius Commission maximum Pb concentrations, and 10% of the same spinach samples exceeded 2- to 3-fold maximum Cd concentrations set by both organizations. Turnip metal concentrations were below maximum standard reference values. Conclusions Prolonged industrial emissions increase median metal concentrations and most soluble fractions (BCR F1+F2) in home garden soils near ferroalloy plants. Areas near ferroalloy plant sites had spinach Cd and Pb metal concentrations several-fold above maximum standard references. We recommend thoroughly washing vegetables to minimize metal exposure. PMID:25777956

Label-free detection of gliadin food allergen mediated by real-time apta-PCR.

PubMed

Pinto, Alessandro; Polo, Pedro Nadal; Henry, Olivier; Redondo, M Carmen Bermudo; Svobodova, Marketa; O'Sullivan, Ciara K

2014-01-01

Celiac disease is an immune-mediated enteropathy triggered by the ingestion of gluten. The only effective treatment consists in a lifelong gluten-free diet, requiring the food industry to tightly control the gluten contents of their products. To date, several gluten quantification approaches using antibodies are available and recommended by the legal authorities, such as Codex Alimentarius. However, whilst these antibody-based tests exhibit high sensitivity and specificity, the production of antibodies inherently requires the killing of host animals and is time-consuming and relatively expensive. Aptamers are structured single-stranded nucleic acid ligands that bind with high affinity and specificity to their cognate target, and aiming for a cost-effective viable alternative to the use of antibodies. Herein, we report the systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX)-based selection of a DNA aptamer against gliadin from a combinatorial DNA library and its application in a novel detection assay. Taking into account the hydrophobic nature of the gliadin target, a microtitre plate format was exploited for SELEX, where the target was immobilised via hydrophobic interactions, thus exposing aptatopes accessible for interaction with the DNA library. Evolution was followed using surface plasmon resonance, and following eight rounds of SELEX, the enriched DNA pool was cloned, sequenced and a clear consensus motif was identified. An apta-PCR assay was developed where competition for the aptamer takes place between the surface-immobilised gliadin and gliadin in the target sample, akin to an ELISA competitive format where the more target present in the sample, the less aptamer will bind to the immobilised gliadin. Following competition, any aptamer bound to the immobilised gliadin was heat-eluted and quantitatively amplified using real-time PCR, achieving a detection limit of approx. 2 nM (100 ng mL(-1)). The specificity of the selected aptamer was demonstrated and no cross-reactivity was observed with streptavidin, bovine serum albumin or anti-gliadin IgG.

Physico-chemical analysis and antimicrobial potential of Apis dorsata, Apis mellifera and Ziziphus jujube honey samples from Pakistan

PubMed Central

Fahim, Hira; Dasti, Javid Iqbal; Ali, Ihsan; Ahmed, Safia; Nadeem, Muhammad

2014-01-01

Objective To evaluate physico-chemical properties and antimicrobial potential of indigenous honey samples against different reference strains including Escherichia coli ATCC 8739, Enterobacter aerogenes ATCC 13048, Pseudomonas aeroginosa ATCC 9027, Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Salmonella typhi ATCC 14028, Klebsiella pneumonia ATCC 13883, Aspergillus niger ATCC 16404, Rhizopus oligosporus PCSIR1, Candida albicans ATCC 14053 and Candida utilis ATCC 9950. Methods By using standard methods samples were evaluated for their antimicrobial properties including additive effect of starch and non-peroxidase activity, antioxidative properties (phenol contents, flavonoid contents, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity). Prior to this evaluation, complete physico-chemical properties including pH, color, ash contents, protein contents, moisture contents, hydroxymethyl furfural contents, total sugar contents, reducing sugar and non-reducing sugar contents were analyzed. Results Relatively higher ash contents were found in the Siddar honey i.e. (0.590 0±0.033 6)% and small honey showed relatively higher protein contents i.e. (777.598±9.880) mg/kg. The moisture contents of tested honey samples ranged between 13.8%-16.6%, total sugar contents from 61.672%-72.420% and non-reducing sugar contents from 1.95%-3.93%. Presences of phenolic contents indicate higher antioxidant potential of these honey samples. All bacteria showed clear inhibition zones in response to tested honey samples whereas fungi and yeast showed inhibition at higher concentrations of these honey samples. For Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Salmonella typhi, Pseudomonas aeroginosa and Aspergillus niger, overall the small honey showed the higher activity than other honey samples. Conclusion Physico-chemical analysis of honey samples confirmed good quality of honey according to the standards set by European Union Commission and Codex Alimentarius Commission. Evaluation of these honey samples confirms antimicrobial potential of particular types of honeys indigenous to Pakistan. PMID:25183333

Principles for the risk assessment of genetically modified microorganisms and their food products in the European Union.

PubMed

Aguilera, Jaime; Gomes, Ana R; Olaru, Irina

2013-10-01

Genetically modified microorganisms (GMMs) are involved in the production of a variety of food and feed. The release and consumption of these products can raise questions about health and environmental safety. Therefore, the European Union has different legislative instruments in place in order to ensure the safety of such products. A key requirement is to conduct a scientific risk assessment as a prerequisite for the product to be placed on the market. This risk assessment is performed by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), through its Scientific Panels. The EFSA Panel on Genetically Modified Organisms has published complete and comprehensive guidance for the risk assessment of GMMs and their products for food and/or feed use, in which the strategy and the criteria to conduct the assessment are explained, as well as the scientific data to be provided in applications for regulated products. This Guidance follows the main risk assessment principles developed by various international organisations (Codex Alimentarius, 2003; OECD, 2010). The assessment considers two aspects: the characterisation of the GMM and the possible effects of its modification with respect to safety, and the safety of the product itself. Due to the existing diversity of GMMs and their products, a categorisation is recommended to optimise the assessment and to determine the extent of the required data. The assessment starts with a comprehensive characterisation of the GMM, covering the recipient/parental organism, the donor(s) of the genetic material, the genetic modification, and the final GMM and its phenotype. Evaluation of the composition, potential toxicity and/or allergenicity, nutritional value and environmental impact of the product constitute further cornerstones of the process. The outcome of the assessment is reflected in a scientific opinion which indicates whether the product raises any safety issues. This opinion is taken into account by the different European regulatory authorities prior to a decision regarding authorisation to commercialise the product. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Lactobacillus paralimentarius sp. nov., isolated from sourdough.

PubMed

Cai, Y; Okada, H; Mori, H; Benno, Y; Nakase, T

1999-10-01

Six strains of lactic acid bacteria isolated from sourdough were characterized taxonomically. They were Gram-positive, catalase-negative, facultatively anaerobic rods that did not produce gas from glucose. Morphological and physiological data indicated that the strains belong to the genus Lactobacillus and they were similar to Lactobacillus alimentarius in phenotypic characteristics. These strains shared the same phenotypic characteristics and exhibited intragroup DNA homology values of over 89.8%, indicating that they comprised a single species. The G + C content of the DNA for the strains was 37.2-38.0 mol%. The 16S rRNA sequence of representative strain TB 1T was determined and aligned with that of other Lactobacillus species. This strain was placed in the genus Lactobacillus on the basis of phylogenetic analysis. L. alimentarius was the most closely related species in the phylogenetic tree and this species also showed the highest sequence homology value (96%) with strain TB 1T. DNA-DNA hybridization indicated that strain TB 1T did not belong to L. alimentarius. It is proposed that these strains are placed in the genus Lactobacillus as a new species, Lactobacillus paralimentarius sp. nov. The type strain of L. paralimentarius is TB 1T, which has been deposited in the Japan Collection of Microorganisms (JCM) as strain JCM 10415T.

Pediatric endocrine diseases in pre-Hispanic Aztecs.

PubMed

Calzada León, Raúl

2003-01-01

Aztec medical and religious knowledge derived from Olmecs (800 BC), Teotihuacans (100 BC) and Toltecs (1100-1521 AC); however, there is no unique source that accurately presents Aztec medicine. Sahagfin combines naturalism and religion but not magic ("First Memorials", "Matritense Codex", "Florentine Codex" and "General History of New Spain"); Hernández gives a naturalistic image but is full of mistakes ("Natural History of the New Spain"); Badiano tries to match Aztecs with contemporary Europeans and with the first century medicine of the Romans ("Badiano Codex"), and Ruiz de Alarcón contains plenty of magical concepts ("Book of Superstition"). For the Aztecs, surveillance of growth was very important and represented a balance between body and soul. They described the different steps of pubertal development. They had specific treatments for thyroid disease in children, mainly hypothyroidism and goiter. There are no references to rickets, nor to type 1 or 2 diabetes mellitus.

Image, text and Observatio: the Codex Kentmanus.

PubMed

Kusukawa, Sachiko

2009-01-01

This paper examines the inter-relationship between image, text and object in the Codex Kentmanus, which is one of the earliest records of the plants in the botanical garden at Padua, studied by Johannes Kentmann (1518-77). The manuscript shows that "observation" for Kentmann involved a gradual process of assimilating knowledge from other physicians, apothecaries, and books in order to make the plants which were originally encountered at a specific time and place into a more generalised object of study for learned physicians.

[The microflora of sour dough. IV. Communication: bacterial composition of sourdough starters genus Lactobacillus beijerinck (author's transl)].

PubMed

Spicher, G; Schröder, R

1978-11-28

The bacterial composition of three so called pure culture sourdough starters of varying origin was investigated. 245 isolates were obtained all belonging to the genus Beijerinck. According to their morphological, physiological and biochemical characteristics they were classified into the subgroups: Thermobacterium (L. acidophilus), Streptobacterium (L. casei, L. plantarum, L. farciminis, L. alimentarius) and Betabacterium (L. brevis, L. brevis var. lindneri, L buchneri, L. fermentum, L. fructi vorans). In the three sourdough starters the identified lactic organisms varied in number and proportion. In starter preparation "A" only the varieties L. fructi vorans and L. fermentum were present. Preparation "B" contained a great variety of microorganisms with L. brevis and L. brevis L. lindneri predominating. In starter "C" L. brevis, L. plantarum and L. alimentarius predominated.

A curated gluten protein sequence database to support development of proteomics methods for determination of gluten in gluten-free foods.

PubMed

Bromilow, Sophie; Gethings, Lee A; Buckley, Mike; Bromley, Mike; Shewry, Peter R; Langridge, James I; Clare Mills, E N

2017-06-23

The unique physiochemical properties of wheat gluten enable a diverse range of food products to be manufactured. However, gluten triggers coeliac disease, a condition which is treated using a gluten-free diet. Analytical methods are required to confirm if foods are gluten-free, but current immunoassay-based methods can unreliable and proteomic methods offer an alternative but require comprehensive and well annotated sequence databases which are lacking for gluten. A manually a curated database (GluPro V1.0) of gluten proteins, comprising 630 discrete unique full length protein sequences has been compiled. It is representative of the different types of gliadin and glutenin components found in gluten. An in silico comparison of their coeliac toxicity was undertaken by analysing the distribution of coeliac toxic motifs. This demonstrated that whilst the α-gliadin proteins contained more toxic motifs, these were distributed across all gluten protein sub-types. Comparison of annotations observed using a discovery proteomics dataset acquired using ion mobility MS/MS showed that more reliable identifications were obtained using the GluPro V1.0 database compared to the complete reviewed Viridiplantae database. This highlights the value of a curated sequence database specifically designed to support the proteomic workflows and the development of methods to detect and quantify gluten. We have constructed the first manually curated open-source wheat gluten protein sequence database (GluPro V1.0) in a FASTA format to support the application of proteomic methods for gluten protein detection and quantification. We have also analysed the manually verified sequences to give the first comprehensive overview of the distribution of sequences able to elicit a reaction in coeliac disease, the prevalent form of gluten intolerance. Provision of this database will improve the reliability of gluten protein identification by proteomic analysis, and aid the development of targeted mass spectrometry methods in line with Codex Alimentarius Commission requirements for foods designed to meet the needs of gluten intolerant individuals. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Risk assessment strategies as a tool in the application of the Appropriate Level of Protection (ALOP) and Food Safety Objective (FSO) by risk managers.

PubMed

Gkogka, E; Reij, M W; Gorris, L G M; Zwietering, M H

2013-10-01

In the course of the last decade, the Appropriate Level of Protection (ALOP), the Food Safety Objective (FSO) and their associated metrics have been proposed by the World Trade Organization and Codex Alimentarius as a means for competent authorities to ultimately translate governmental public health policy regarding food safety into risk-based targets for the food industry. The industry needs to meet these targets through the effective choice of control measures that are part of its operational food safety management system. The aim of this study was to put the practical application of ALOP and FSO to the test in the case of Salmonella in chicken meat in the Netherlands. Two different risk assessment approaches were applied to derive potential ALOP and FSO values, a 'top-down' approach based on epidemiological data and a 'bottom-up' approach based on food supply chain data. To this end, two stochastic models specific to the Dutch situation were built. Comparisons between 23 countries in Europe were also made using the top-down model. The mean estimated current Level Of Protection values were similar for the two approaches applied, with the bottom-up model yielding 87 cases per 100,000 inhabitants per year (95% CI: 0.03, 904) and the top-down model 71 (95% CI: 9.9, 155). The estimated FSO values on the other hand were considerably different with the mean 'top down' FSO being -4.6 log CFU/g (95% CI: -5.4, -4.1) and the mean 'bottom-up' FSO -6.0 log CFU/g (95% CI: -8.1, -2.9) reflecting major differences in the output distributions of this parameter obtained with the two approaches. Significant differences were observed between current LOP values for different EU countries, although it was not clear whether this was due to actual differences in the factors influencing the risk of salmonellosis or due to the quality of the available data. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

In silico assessment of the potential allergenicity of transgenes used for the development of GM food crops.

PubMed

Mishra, Ankita; Gaur, S N; Singh, B P; Arora, Naveen

2012-05-01

Genetically modified (GM) crops require allergenicity and toxicity assessment of the novel protein(s) to ensure complete safety to the consumers. These assessments are performed in accordance with the guidelines proposed by Codex (2003) and ICMR (2008). The guidelines recommend sequence homology analysis as a preliminary step towards allergenicity prediction, later in vitro experiments may be performed to confirm allergenicity. In the present study, an in silico approach is employed to evaluate the allergenic potential of six transgenes routinely used for the development of GM food crops. Among the genes studied, manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) and osmotin shares greater than 90% identity with Hev b 10 and Cap a 1w, respectively. Chitinase shares greater than 70% identity with allergens namely Pers a 1 and Hev b 11, and fungal chitinase showed significant IgE binding with 7 of 75 patients' sera positive to different food extracts. Glucanases (alfalfa, wheat) and glycine betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase gene share 50% homology with allergens like - Ole e 9, Cla h 10 and Alt a 10. The results demonstrate the allergenic potential of six genes and can serve as a guide for selection of transgenes to develop GM crops. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Non-invasive investigation on a VI century purple codex from Brescia, Italy.

PubMed

Aceto, Maurizio; Idone, Ambra; Agostino, Angelo; Fenoglio, Gaia; Gulmini, Monica; Baraldi, Pietro; Crivello, Fabrizio

2014-01-03

Purple codices are among the most relevant and prestigious book productions of Late Antique and Medieval age. They usually contained texts from Holy Writings written with golden or silver inks on parchment dyed in a purple hue. According to the tradition, the colour of parchment was obtained by the well renowned Tyrian purple dye. From the material point of view, however, very little is known about the compounds actually used in the manufacture of these manuscripts. Presently, the information available is limited to the ancient art treatises, with very few diagnostic evidences supporting them and, moreover, none confirming the presence of Tyrian purple. It is more than apparent, then, the need to have at disposal larger and more complete information at the concern, in order to verify what came to us from the literary tradition only. In this study, preliminary results are presented from non-invasive investigation on a VI century purple codex, the so-called CodexBrixianus, held in the Biblioteca Civica Queriniana at Brescia (Italy). Analyses were carried out with XRF spectrometry, UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectrophotometry, molecular spectrofluorimetry and optical microscopy. The results suggest the hypothesis that Tyrian purple had been used as a minor component mixed with other less precious dyes such as folium or orchil. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Non-invasive investigation on a VI century purple codex from Brescia, Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aceto, Maurizio; Idone, Ambra; Agostino, Angelo; Fenoglio, Gaia; Gulmini, Monica; Baraldi, Pietro; Crivello, Fabrizio

2014-01-01

Purple codices are among the most relevant and prestigious book productions of Late Antique and Medieval age. They usually contained texts from Holy Writings written with golden or silver inks on parchment dyed in a purple hue. According to the tradition, the colour of parchment was obtained by the well renowned Tyrian purple dye. From the material point of view, however, very little is known about the compounds actually used in the manufacture of these manuscripts. Presently, the information available is limited to the ancient art treatises, with very few diagnostic evidences supporting them and, moreover, none confirming the presence of Tyrian purple. It is more than apparent, then, the need to have at disposal larger and more complete information at the concern, in order to verify what came to us from the literary tradition only. In this study, preliminary results are presented from non-invasive investigation on a VI century purple codex, the so-called CodexBrixianus, held in the Biblioteca Civica Queriniana at Brescia (Italy). Analyses were carried out with XRF spectrometry, UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectrophotometry, molecular spectrofluorimetry and optical microscopy. The results suggest the hypothesis that Tyrian purple had been used as a minor component mixed with other less precious dyes such as folium or orchil.

Enhancement and character recognition of the erased colophon of a 15th-century Hebrew prayer book

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walvoord, Derek J.; Easton, Roger L., Jr.; Knox, Keith T.; Heimbueger, Matthew

2005-01-01

A handwritten codex often included an inscription that listed facts about its publication, such as the names of the scribe and patron, date of publication, the city where the book was copied, etc. These facts obviously provide essential information to a historian studying the provenance of the codex. Unfortunately, this page was sometimes erased after the sale of the book to a new owner, often by scraping off the original ink. The importance of recovering this information would be difficult to overstate. This paper reports on the methods of imaging, image enhancement, and character recognition that were applied to this page in a Hebrew prayer book copied in Florence in the 15th century.

Enhancement and character recognition of the erased colophon of a 15th-century Hebrew prayer book

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walvoord, Derek J.; Easton, Roger L., Jr.; Knox, Keith T.; Heimbueger, Matthew

2004-12-01

A handwritten codex often included an inscription that listed facts about its publication, such as the names of the scribe and patron, date of publication, the city where the book was copied, etc. These facts obviously provide essential information to a historian studying the provenance of the codex. Unfortunately, this page was sometimes erased after the sale of the book to a new owner, often by scraping off the original ink. The importance of recovering this information would be difficult to overstate. This paper reports on the methods of imaging, image enhancement, and character recognition that were applied to this page in a Hebrew prayer book copied in Florence in the 15th century.

[A Fragment Of De speculis comburentibus of Regiomontanus Copied by Toscanelli and Inserted in the Books of Leonardo (Codex Atlanticus, 611rb / 915ra)].

PubMed

Raynaud, Dominique

2015-07-01

This article studies a fragment on the conic sections that appear in the Codex Atlanticus, fols. 611rb/915ra. Arguments are put forward to assemble these two folios. Their comparison with the Latin texts available before 1500 shows that they derive from the De speculis comburentibus of Alhacen and the De speculis comburentibus of Regiomontanus, joined together in his autograph manuscript (Vienna, Oster. Nationalbibliothek, Cod. 5258). Having identified the sources, and discussed their mathematics, the issue of their transmission is targeted. It is shown that these notes were written by Paolo dal Pozzo Toscanelli, through whom they reached the notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci.

Microbiological Analysis of Surfaces of Leonardo Da Vinci's Atlantic Codex: Biodeterioration Risk.

PubMed

Tarsitani, Gianfranco; Moroni, Catia; Cappitelli, Francesca; Pasquariello, Giovanna; Maggi, Oriana

2014-01-01

Following the discovery of discoloration on some pages of the Atlantic Codex (AC) of Leonardo da Vinci kept in the Biblioteca Ambrosiana in Milan, some investigations have been carried out to verify the presence of microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi. To verify the presence of microorganisms a noninvasive method of sampling has been used that was efficient and allowed us to highlight the microbial facies of the material that was examined using conventional microbiological techniques. The microclimatic conditions in the storage room as well as the water content of the volume were also assessed. The combined observations allowed the conclusion that the discoloration of suspected biological origin on some pages of AC is not related to the presence or current attack of microbial agents.

Microbiological Analysis of Surfaces of Leonardo Da Vinci's Atlantic Codex: Biodeterioration Risk

PubMed Central

Moroni, Catia; Pasquariello, Giovanna; Maggi, Oriana

2014-01-01

Following the discovery of discoloration on some pages of the Atlantic Codex (AC) of Leonardo da Vinci kept in the Biblioteca Ambrosiana in Milan, some investigations have been carried out to verify the presence of microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi. To verify the presence of microorganisms a noninvasive method of sampling has been used that was efficient and allowed us to highlight the microbial facies of the material that was examined using conventional microbiological techniques. The microclimatic conditions in the storage room as well as the water content of the volume were also assessed. The combined observations allowed the conclusion that the discoloration of suspected biological origin on some pages of AC is not related to the presence or current attack of microbial agents. PMID:25574171

Assessment of the risk of foodborne transmission and burden of hepatitis E in Switzerland.

PubMed

Müller, Alexandra; Collineau, Lucie; Stephan, Roger; Müller, Andrea; Stärk, Katharina D C

2017-02-02

The objective of this study was i) to quantify the risk of hepatitis E for Swiss consumers by specified pork products and ii) to estimate the total burden of human food-borne hepatitis E in Switzerland. A quantitative risk assessment from slaughter to consumption was carried out according to the Codex Alimentarius framework. In the hazard characterization, assumptions were made due to the lack of a dose-response relationship for oral exposure to hepatitis E virus (HEV). The prevalence of HEV in 160 pig livers of 40 different Swiss fattening farms was examined and determined to be 1.3% (CI 0.3%; 4.4%). This result was used as input in the risk assessment model, together with data from other published studies. The annual burden of hepatitis E was estimated in terms of Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALY), using data about hepatitis E cases diagnosed between 2010 and 2015 at two major hospitals located in the canton Ticino. Only the risk of foodborne hepatitis E from products containing pork liver was evaluated, as those containing only pork meat could not be evaluated because of lack of data on HEV load in pork. Assuming that successful oral infection occurs in 1% of servings contaminated with high HEV loads (>10 5 genome copies), and that acute illness develops in 5% of susceptible consumers, the most likely annual number of foodborne hepatitis E cases in Switzerland was estimated to be 1481 (95% CI 552; 4488) if all products containing pork liver were considered. If only high-risk products, such as plain pork liver and liver sausages (e.g. Saucisse au Foie), were considered, the annual number of cases was estimated to be 176 (95% CI 64; 498). We were unable to calculate the total burden of hepatitis E in Switzerland due to lack of data. Yet, for the canton Ticino, it was shown that a significant increase had occurred from <5 DALY per 100,000 inhabitants before 2012 to >50 DALY per 100,000 inhabitants in 2015. This change could partly be due to an increased reporting and higher awareness among medical practitioners. Extrapolation to other regions could be accomplished if detailed information on food consumption patterns were available. Notification of HEV cases and attempts of cases source attribution would improve the basis for risk assessments. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

7 CFR 58.434 - Calcium chloride.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

..., GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR APPROVED PLANTS AND STANDARDS FOR GRADES OF DAIRY PRODUCTS 1 General Specifications for Dairy Plants Approved for USDA Inspection and Grading Service 1 Quality Specifications for Raw... Chemical Codex. ...

7 CFR 58.434 - Calcium chloride.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

..., GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR APPROVED PLANTS AND STANDARDS FOR GRADES OF DAIRY PRODUCTS 1 General Specifications for Dairy Plants Approved for USDA Inspection and Grading Service 1 Quality Specifications for Raw... Chemical Codex. ...

7 CFR 58.434 - Calcium chloride.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

..., GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR APPROVED PLANTS AND STANDARDS FOR GRADES OF DAIRY PRODUCTS 1 General Specifications for Dairy Plants Approved for USDA Inspection and Grading Service 1 Quality Specifications for Raw... Chemical Codex. ...

Phytotherapy in medieval Serbian medicine according to the pharmacological manuscripts of the Chilandar Medical Codex (15-16th centuries).

PubMed

Jarić, Snežana; Mitrović, Miroslava; Djurdjević, Lola; Kostić, Olga; Gajić, Gordana; Pavlović, Dragana; Pavlović, Pavle

2011-09-01

The Chilandar Medical Codex is the most significant and best preserved medieval Serbian manuscript and collects together documents on European medical science from the 12th to 15th centuries. It represents the best-known and most complete example of a large collection of medical manuscripts from the Salerno-Montpellier school, written in the vernacular - something which does not exist among the majority of European nations. This paper presents the section of the Codex that deals with phytotherapy, which is contained within the pharmacological manuscripts. An analysis of their contents shows that out of a total of 167 recorded substances, 135 are of plant origin (81%), 13 animal origin (7.7%) and 19 inorganic (11.3%). The recorded plant species are categorised into 63 families, of which the most frequent are: Apiaceae (8.1%), Lamiaceae (8.1%), Asteraceae (5.9%), Rosaceae (5.9%) and Fabaceae (4.4%). All possible plant parts were used in treatments: the whole plant (6%), underground parts (13.7% - root, rhizome, bulb) and aerial parts (80.3% - stem, leaf, flower, buds, fruit, seeds). Of the plants quoted, the following are mentioned most frequently: Vitis sp. (120), Rosa canina (55), Olea europaea (45), Pistacia lentiscus (25), Saccharum officinarum (23), Artemisia absinthium (16) and Foeniculum vulgare (15). The contents of the pharmacological manuscripts of the Chilandar Medical Codex point to the sound contemporary knowledge of the diversity of plant species, their origins, habitat types, the levels of their healing powers, and when and how to gather them and prepare them, as well as the recommended dose for the treatment of specific illnesses. As these manuscripts contain not only common, lay terms for the plants, but also scientific, botanical ones, we can consider them the precursor to Serbian botany. Based on its contents and the way in which they are presented, it can be viewed not only as the first Serbian pharmacopeia, but first Slavic pharmacopeia, too, because similar manuscripts written in the vernacular did not exist during that period among the other Slavic nations, or even most European nations. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

21 CFR 184.1666 - Propylene glycol.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... glycol by treatment with sodium carbonate solution. It is also prepared by heating glyercol with sodium hydroxide. (b) The ingredient meets the specifications of the Food Chemicals Codex, 3d Ed. (1981), p. 255...

21 CFR 184.1666 - Propylene glycol.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... glycol by treatment with sodium carbonate solution. It is also prepared by heating glyercol with sodium hydroxide. (b) The ingredient meets the specifications of the Food Chemicals Codex, 3d Ed. (1981), p. 255...

7 CFR 58.721 - Salt.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... SPECIFICATIONS FOR APPROVED PLANTS AND STANDARDS FOR GRADES OF DAIRY PRODUCTS 1 General Specifications for Dairy Plants Approved for USDA Inspection and Grading Service 1 Quality Specifications for Raw Material § 58... The Food Chemical Codex. ...

7 CFR 58.721 - Salt.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... SPECIFICATIONS FOR APPROVED PLANTS AND STANDARDS FOR GRADES OF DAIRY PRODUCTS 1 General Specifications for Dairy Plants Approved for USDA Inspection and Grading Service 1 Quality Specifications for Raw Material § 58... The Food Chemical Codex. ...

7 CFR 58.721 - Salt.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... SPECIFICATIONS FOR APPROVED PLANTS AND STANDARDS FOR GRADES OF DAIRY PRODUCTS 1 General Specifications for Dairy Plants Approved for USDA Inspection and Grading Service 1 Quality Specifications for Raw Material § 58... The Food Chemical Codex. ...

7 CFR 58.721 - Salt.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... SPECIFICATIONS FOR APPROVED PLANTS AND STANDARDS FOR GRADES OF DAIRY PRODUCTS 1 General Specifications for Dairy Plants Approved for USDA Inspection and Grading Service 1 Quality Specifications for Raw Material § 58... The Food Chemical Codex. ...

21 CFR 184.1282 - Dill and its derivatives.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... derivatives include essential oils, oleoresins, and natural extractives obtained from these sources of dill. (b) Dill oils meet the description and specifications of the “Food Chemicals Codex,” 4th ed. (1996...

21 CFR 184.1490 - Methylparaben.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

...-hydroxybenzoate. It is produced by the methanol esterification of p-hydroxybenzoic acid in the presence of... Chemicals Codex,” 3d Ed. (1981), p. 199, which is incorporated by reference. Copies may be obtained from the...

21 CFR 184.1490 - Methylparaben.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

...-hydroxybenzoate. It is produced by the methanol esterification of p-hydroxybenzoic acid in the presence of... Chemicals Codex,” 3d Ed. (1981), p. 199, which is incorporated by reference. Copies may be obtained from the...

21 CFR 184.1903 - Tributyrin.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... tributyrate, is the triester of glycerin and butyric acid. It is prepared by esterification of glycerin with excess butyric acid. (b) The ingredient meets the specification of the Food Chemicals Codex, 3d Ed. (1981...

[The popular interpretation of strokes in ancient Galicia: the dragon myth].

PubMed

Pías-Peleteiro, Juan M; Blanco, Miguel; Arias, Manuel; Castillo, José

2011-05-01

The high prevalence and mortality of stroke has consequently brought about a wide presence of this pathology in the Galician pre-scientific folk medicine. A new interpretation of stroke, linked to the local tradition around the figure of Saint James the Apostle, is presented in this paper: stroke is considered to be the result of the evil influence of a dragon. In the Codex Calixtinus, a xii century manuscript containing various materials around the figure of Saint James, a dragon is also mentioned as an obstacle for the translation of the apostolic body. The third book of Codex Calixtinus containing the narration of the translation of the dead body of James the Greater from Palestine to its likely current location in Santiago de Compostela (Galicia, Spain), also holds the major written record of the dragon of the Pico Sacro mountain. The pagan symbol of the dragon has remained in the orally-transmitted Galician folk medicine as a direct cause for neurological diseases such as stroke. For the first time, in our knowledge, the symbol of a dragon as the magical explanation for cerebral vascular disease has been described. Moreover, this mythical explanation, found only in the Galician folk medicine, is strongly linked to the legend of the translation of James the Apostle to Galicia. Such a link supports the originality of the narration in the Codex Calixtinus as opposed to other versions of the apostolic translation which can be found in other manuscripts.

Optimization of the pepsin digestion method for anisakids inspection in the fishing industry.

PubMed

Llarena-Reino, María; Piñeiro, Carmen; Antonio, José; Outeriño, Luis; Vello, Carlos; González, Ángel F; Pascual, Santiago

2013-01-31

During the last 50 years human anisakiasis has been rising while parasites have increased their prevalence at determined fisheries becoming an emergent major public health problem. Although artificial enzymatic digestion procedure by CODEX (STAN 244-2004: standard for salted Atlantic herring and salted sprat) is the recommended protocol for anisakids inspection, no international agreement has been achieved in veterinary and scientific digestion protocols to regulate this growing source of biological hazard in fish products. The aim of this work was to optimize the current artificial digestion protocol by CODEX with the purpose of offering a faster, more useful and safer procedure for factories workers, than the current one for anisakids detection. To achieve these objectives, the existing pepsin chemicals and the conditions of the digestion method were evaluated and assayed in fresh and frozen samples, both in lean and fatty fish species. Results showed that the new digestion procedure considerably reduces the assay time, and it is more handy and efficient (the quantity of the resulting residue was considerably lower after less time) than the widely used CODEX procedure. In conclusion, the new digestion method herein proposed based on liquid pepsin format is an accurate reproducible and user-friendly off-site tool, that can be useful in the implementation of screening programs for the prevention of human anisakiasis (and associated gastroallergic disorders) due to the consumption of raw or undercooked contaminated seafood products. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

7 CFR 58.328 - Salt.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... SPECIFICATIONS FOR APPROVED PLANTS AND STANDARDS FOR GRADES OF DAIRY PRODUCTS 1 General Specifications for Dairy Plants Approved for USDA Inspection and Grading Service 1 Quality Specifications for Raw Material § 58... requirements of The Food Chemical Codex. ...

7 CFR 58.328 - Salt.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... SPECIFICATIONS FOR APPROVED PLANTS AND STANDARDS FOR GRADES OF DAIRY PRODUCTS 1 General Specifications for Dairy Plants Approved for USDA Inspection and Grading Service 1 Quality Specifications for Raw Material § 58... requirements of The Food Chemical Codex. ...

7 CFR 58.328 - Salt.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... SPECIFICATIONS FOR APPROVED PLANTS AND STANDARDS FOR GRADES OF DAIRY PRODUCTS 1 General Specifications for Dairy Plants Approved for USDA Inspection and Grading Service 1 Quality Specifications for Raw Material § 58... requirements of The Food Chemical Codex. ...

7 CFR 58.328 - Salt.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... SPECIFICATIONS FOR APPROVED PLANTS AND STANDARDS FOR GRADES OF DAIRY PRODUCTS 1 General Specifications for Dairy Plants Approved for USDA Inspection and Grading Service 1 Quality Specifications for Raw Material § 58... requirements of The Food Chemical Codex. ...

Lactobacillus kimchii sp. nov., a new species from kimchi.

PubMed

Yoon, J H; Kang, S S; Mheen, T I; Ahn, J S; Lee, H J; Kim, T K; Park, C S; Kho, Y H; Kang, K H; Park, Y H

2000-09-01

A bacteriocin-producing lactic acid bacterium, which was isolated from the Korean fermented-vegetable food kimchi, was subjected to a polyphasic taxonomic study using phenotypic characterization and phylogenetic and genetic methods. This organism (MT-1077T) has phenotypic properties that are consistent with the description characterizing the genus Lactobacillus. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rDNA sequences showed clearly that strain MT-1077T is a member of the genus Lactobacillus. The closest phylogenetic relatives are Lactobacillus alimentarius KCTC 3593T and Lactobacillus farciminis LMG 9200T, with levels of 16S rDNA similarity of 98.4 and 98.2%, respectively. Levels of 16S rDNA similarity between strain MT-1077T and other Lactobacillus species were less than 93.0%. Differences in some phenotypic characteristics and DNA-DNA relatedness data indicated that strain MT-1077T should be distinguished from L. alimentarius KCTC 3593T and L. farciminis LMG 9200T. On the basis of the data presented, it is proposed that strain MT-1077T should be placed in the genus Lactobacillus as a new species, Lactobacillus kimchii sp. nov. The type strain of the new species is strain MT-1077T (= KCTC 8903PT = JCM 10707T).

21 CFR 184.1205 - Calcium hydroxide.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

.... No. 1305-62-0) is also known as slaked lime or calcium hydrate. It is produced by the hydration of lime. (b) The ingredient meets the specifications of the Food Chemicals Codex, 3d Ed. (1981), p. 52...

Sorbic and benzoic acid in non-preservative-added food products in Turkey.

PubMed

Cakir, Ruziye; Cagri-Mehmetoglu, Arzu

2013-01-01

Sorbic acid (SA) and benzoic acid (BA) were determined in yoghurt, tomato and pepper paste, fruit juices, chocolates, soups and chips in Turkey by using high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). Levels were compared with Turkish Food Codex limits. SA was detected only in 2 of 21 yoghurt samples, contrary to BA, which was found in all yoghurt samples but one, ranging from 10.5 to 159.9 mg/kg. Both SA and BA were detected also in 3 and 6 of 23 paste samples in a range of 18.1-526.4 and 21.7-1933.5 mg/kg, respectively. Only 1 of 23 fruit juices contained BA. SA was not detected in any chips, fruit juice, soup, or chocolate sample. Although 16.51% of the samples was not compliant with the Turkish Food Codex limits, estimated daily intake of BA or SA was below the acceptable daily intake.

Assessing Chronology and Mantle Evolution In-Situ with CODEX

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderson, F. S.; Levine, J.; Whitaker, T.

2017-12-01

Understanding lunar bombardment history is crucial to understanding the dynamic evolution of the Moon. Using an instrument called CODEX (Chemistry, Organics, and Dating Experiment) intended for in-situ dating [1-5], we have obtained Pb-Pb dates for Martian meteorites Zagami and Northwest Africa (NWA) 7034, and lunar meteorites Miller Range 05035, LaPaz Icefield 02205, and NWA 032. In conjunction with our previous Rb-Sr success, these measurments demonstrate the potential for in-situ measurements of the Moon. Some of these Pb dates are consistent with young age estimates, however, many are consistent with previous anomalously old Pb measurements for lunar and SNC meteorites. Proposed explanations for this paradox include terrestrial Pb contamination, that the SNC's are actually ancient and reset in Rb/Sr, that there are multiple isotopic reservoirs sampled by the impact process, or that multiple reservoirs are sampled during the volcanic emplacement. In the future, we plan to use CODEX to test these hypotheses by making measurements on outcrops in-situ on Mars or the Moon, avoiding terrestrial or impact mixing. If in-situ Rb-Sr and Pb-Pb measurements are not concordant, then we are likely constraining the common Pb signature, and hence mantle evolution, of the Moon or Mars. Alternatively, we are likely obtaining a robust age estimate. References: [1] F. S. Anderson et al. LPSC 1246, 2 (2017); [2] F. S. Anderson et al. LPSC 2957, 2 (2017); [3] S. Beck et al., LPSC, 3001, 2 (2017); [4] T. J. Whitaker et al. LPSC 2328, 2 (2017); [5] F. S. Anderson et al. RCMS 29, 191 (2015);

7 CFR 58.437 - Salt.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... SPECIFICATIONS FOR APPROVED PLANTS AND STANDARDS FOR GRADES OF DAIRY PRODUCTS 1 General Specifications for Dairy Plants Approved for USDA Inspection and Grading Service 1 Quality Specifications for Raw Material § 58... requirements of the Food Chemical Codex. Operations and Operating Procedures ...

7 CFR 58.437 - Salt.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... SPECIFICATIONS FOR APPROVED PLANTS AND STANDARDS FOR GRADES OF DAIRY PRODUCTS 1 General Specifications for Dairy Plants Approved for USDA Inspection and Grading Service 1 Quality Specifications for Raw Material § 58... requirements of the Food Chemical Codex. Operations and Operating Procedures ...

7 CFR 58.437 - Salt.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... SPECIFICATIONS FOR APPROVED PLANTS AND STANDARDS FOR GRADES OF DAIRY PRODUCTS 1 General Specifications for Dairy Plants Approved for USDA Inspection and Grading Service 1 Quality Specifications for Raw Material § 58... requirements of the Food Chemical Codex. Operations and Operating Procedures ...

7 CFR 58.437 - Salt.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... SPECIFICATIONS FOR APPROVED PLANTS AND STANDARDS FOR GRADES OF DAIRY PRODUCTS 1 General Specifications for Dairy Plants Approved for USDA Inspection and Grading Service 1 Quality Specifications for Raw Material § 58... requirements of the Food Chemical Codex. Operations and Operating Procedures ...

21 CFR 172.723 - Epoxidized soybean oil.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... given in paragraph (b)(1) of this section. (3) The heavy metals (as Pb) content cannot be more than 10 parts per million, as determined by the “Heavy Metals Test,” of the “Food Chemicals Codex,” 4th ed...

Nutrition labelling: purpose, scientific issues and challenges.

PubMed

Van den Wijngaart, Annoek W E M

2002-01-01

Nutrition labels describe the nutrient content of a food and are intended to guide the consumer in food selection. The nutrition information provided must be selected on the basis of consistency with dietary recommendations. Selection of the specific nutrients or food components to be listed should further take into account label space, the analytical feasibility of measuring the particular nutritional component within the food matrix, and the relative costs of such analyses. Nutrition information provided on labels should be truthful and not mislead consumers. At the same time, labelling regulations should provide incentives to manufacturers to develop products that promote public health and assist consumers in following dietary recommendations. It is likely that in many countries, there would be some segments of the population that would benefit from information about the composition of foods. In these cases, countries should consider the need to provide for appropriate labelling and its presentation relative to existing guidelines and approaches. As nutrition-labelling efforts have evolved, different approaches and legal requirements have been established. These create difficulties in developing and harmonizing nutrition information listings, which have broad international applications. For these reasons, the Codex Guidelines on Nutrition Labeling play an important role to provide guidance to member countries when they want to develop or update their national regulations and to encourage harmonization of national standards with international standards. These Guidelines are based on the principle that no food should be described or presented in a manner that is false, misleading or deceptive. The Guidelines include provisions for voluntary nutrient declaration, calculation and presentation of nutrient information. The Guidelines on Claims establish general principles to be followed and leave the definition of specific claims to national regulations. Definitions are provided for a number of claims (nutrient content, comparative claims, nutrient function claims) as well as general requirements concerning consumer information in relation with claims. Nutrition labelling by itself cannot solve nutrition problems. It should be seen as one of the elements of nutrition policy and should be envisaged in the larger perspective of consumer education, which in its turn is part of an overall development policy. Exchange of information at the regional and subregional level is important, as each country can learn from the experience of others and regional co-ordination and co-operation can be developed.

21 CFR 184.1005 - Acetic acid.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... carbohydrates or by organic synthesis. The principal synthetic methods currently employed are oxidation of acetaldehyde derived from ethylene, liquid phase oxidation of butane, and reaction of carbon monoxide with methanol derived from natural gas. (b) The ingredient meets the specifications of the Food Chemicals Codex...

21 CFR 172.723 - Epoxidized soybean oil.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... paragraph (b)(1) of this section. (3) The heavy metals (as Pb) content cannot be more than 10 parts per million, as determined by the “Heavy Metals Test,” of the “Food Chemicals Codex,” 4th ed. (1996), pp. 760...

External validation of ADO, DOSE, COTE and CODEX at predicting death in primary care patients with COPD using standard and machine learning approaches.

PubMed

Morales, Daniel R; Flynn, Rob; Zhang, Jianguo; Trucco, Emmanuel; Quint, Jennifer K; Zutis, Kris

2018-05-01

Several models for predicting the risk of death in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exist but have not undergone large scale validation in primary care. The objective of this study was to externally validate these models using statistical and machine learning approaches. We used a primary care COPD cohort identified using data from the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink. Age-standardised mortality rates were calculated for the population by gender and discrimination of ADO (age, dyspnoea, airflow obstruction), COTE (COPD-specific comorbidity test), DOSE (dyspnoea, airflow obstruction, smoking, exacerbations) and CODEX (comorbidity, dyspnoea, airflow obstruction, exacerbations) at predicting death over 1-3 years measured using logistic regression and a support vector machine learning (SVM) method of analysis. The age-standardised mortality rate was 32.8 (95%CI 32.5-33.1) and 25.2 (95%CI 25.4-25.7) per 1000 person years for men and women respectively. Complete data were available for 54879 patients to predict 1-year mortality. ADO performed the best (c-statistic of 0.730) compared with DOSE (c-statistic 0.645), COTE (c-statistic 0.655) and CODEX (c-statistic 0.649) at predicting 1-year mortality. Discrimination of ADO and DOSE improved at predicting 1-year mortality when combined with COTE comorbidities (c-statistic 0.780 ADO + COTE; c-statistic 0.727 DOSE + COTE). Discrimination did not change significantly over 1-3 years. Comparable results were observed using SVM. In primary care, ADO appears superior at predicting death in COPD. Performance of ADO and DOSE improved when combined with COTE comorbidities suggesting better models may be generated with additional data facilitated using novel approaches. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Benzoates intakes from non-alcoholic beverages in Brazil, Canada, Mexico and the United States.

PubMed

Martyn, Danika; Lau, Annette; Darch, Maryse; Roberts, Ashley

2017-09-01

Food consumption data from national dietary surveys were combined with brand-specific-use levels reported by beverage manufacturers to calculate the exposure to benzoic acid and its salts (INS Nos 210-213) from non-alcoholic beverages in Brazil, Canada, Mexico and the United States. These four jurisdictions were identified as having some of the most prevalent use of benzoates in beverages globally. Use levels were weighted according to the brand's market volume share in the respective countries. Benzoates were reported to be used primarily in 'water-based flavoured drinks' (Codex General Standard for Food Additives (GSFA) category 14.1.4). As such, the assessments focused only on intakes from these beverage types. Two different models were established to determine exposure: probabilistic (representing non-brand loyal consumers) and distributional (representing brand-loyal consumers). All reported-use levels were incorporated into both models, including those above the Codex interim maximum benzoate use level (250 mg kg -1 ). The exception to this was in the brand-loyal models for consumers of regular carbonated soft drinks (brand loyal category) which used (1) the interim maximum use level for beverages with a pH ≤ 3.5 and (2) all reported use levels for beverages pH > 3.5 (up to 438 mg kg -1 ). The estimated exposure levels using both models were significantly lower than the ADI established for benzoates at the mean level of intake (4-40% ADI) and lower than - or at the ADI only for toddlers/children - at the 95th percentile (23-110% ADI). The results rendered in the models do not indicate a safety concern in these jurisdictions, and as such provide support for maintaining the current Codex interim maximum benzoate level of 250 mg kg -1 in water-based beverages.

CODEX weak lensing: concentration of galaxy clusters at z ~ 0.5

DOE PAGES

Cibirka, N.; Cypriano, E. S.; Brimioulle, F.; ...

2017-03-04

Here, we present a stacked weak-lensing analysis of 27 richness selected galaxy clusters at 0.40 ≤ z ≤ 0.62 in the COnstrain Dark Energy with X-ray galaxy clusters (CODEX) survey. The fields were observed in five bands with the Canada–France–Hawaii Telescope (CFHT). We measure the stacked surface mass density profile with a 14σ significance in the radial range 0.1 < RMpch -1 < 2.5. The profile is well described by the halo model, with the main halo term following a Navarro–Frenk–White profile (NFW) profile and including the off-centring effect. We select the background sample using a conservative colour–magnitude method to reduce the potential systematic errors and contamination by cluster member galaxies. We perform a Bayesian analysis for the stacked profile and constrain the best-fitting NFW parameters M 200c=6.6more » $$+1.0\\atop{-0.8}$$×10 14h -1 M⊙ and c 200c=3.7$$+0.7\\atop{-0.6}$$. The off-centring effect was modelled based on previous observational results found for redMaPPer Sloan Digital Sky Survey clusters. Our constraints on M200c and c200c allow us to investigate the consistency with numerical predictions and select a concentration–mass relation to describe the high richness CODEX sample. Comparing our best-fitting values for M200c and c200c with other observational surveys at different redshifts, we find no evidence for evolution in the concentration–mass relation, though it could be mitigated by particular selection functions. Similar to previous studies investigating the X-ray luminosity–mass relation, our data suggest a lower evolution than expected from self-similarity.« less

Sahagún's "Florentine codex," a little known Aztecan natural history of the Valley of Mexico.

PubMed

Reeves, Henry M

2006-01-01

Franciscan missionary Fray Bernardino de Sahagún arrived in New Spain (Mexico) in 1529 to proselytize Aztecs surviving the Conquest, begun by Hernán Cortés in 1519. About 1558 he commenced his huge opus "Historia general de las cosas de Nueva España" completed in Latin-Nahuatl manuscript in 1569. The best surviving version, the "Florentine Codex," 1579 in Spanish-Nahuatl, is the basis for the editions published since 1829. The first English translation was issued in 13 volumes between 1950 and 1982, and the first facsimile was published in 1979. Book 11, "Earthly things," is a comprehensive natural history of the Valley of Mexico based on pre-Cortésian Aztec knowledge. Sahagún's work, largely unknown among English-speaking biologists, is an untapped treasury of information about Aztecan natural history. It also establishes the Aztecs as the preeminent pioneering naturalists of North American, and Sahagún and his colleagues as their documentarians.

The York Gospels: a 1000-year biological palimpsest

PubMed Central

Fiddyment, Sarah; Vnouček, Jiří; Mattiangeli, Valeria; Speller, Camilla; Binois, Annelise; Carver, Martin; Dand, Catherine; Newfield, Timothy P.; Webb, Christopher C.; Bradley, Daniel G.; Collins, Matthew J.

2017-01-01

Medieval manuscripts, carefully curated and conserved, represent not only an irreplaceable documentary record but also a remarkable reservoir of biological information. Palaeographic and codicological investigation can often locate and date these documents with remarkable precision. The York Gospels (York Minster Ms. Add. 1) is one such codex, one of only a small collection of pre-conquest Gospel books to have survived the Reformation. By extending the non-invasive triboelectric (eraser-based) sampling technique eZooMS, to include the analysis of DNA, we report a cost-effective and simple-to-use biomolecular sampling technique for parchment. We apply this combined methodology to document for the first time a rich palimpsest of biological information contained within the York Gospels, which has accumulated over the 1000-year lifespan of this cherished object that remains an active participant in the life of York Minster. These biological data provide insights into the decisions made in the selection of materials, the construction of the codex and the use history of the object. PMID:29134095

Noted

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nunberg, Geoffrey

2013-01-01

Considering how much attention people lavish on the technologies of writing--scroll, codex, print, screen--it's striking how little they pay to the technologies for digesting and regurgitating it. One way or another, there's no sector of the modern world that is not saturated with note-taking--the bureaucracy, the liberal professions, the…

BioTerNet Networking and Strain Tracking

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-07-01

lactobacillus 74 74 100.0% 0 lechevalieria 16 16 100.0% 0 leclercia 7 5 71.4% 0 legionella 369 337 91.3% 0 leuconostoc 6 5 83.3% 0 listeria 118 93 78.8% 1... Lactobacillus -delbrucki-bulgaricus 166 Streptococcus-porcini 77 Listeria-grayi 167 Streptococcus-salivarius 78 Listeria-innocua 168 Streptococcus-sanguis 79...varians Kribbella 1 1 solani Kytococcus 1 1 schroeteri Lactobacillus 47 29 acidophilus agilis alimentarius amylovorus animalis bifermentans brevis

21 CFR 184.1034 - Catalase (bovine liver).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... enzyme preparation obtained from extracts of bovine liver. It is a partially purified liquid or powder. Its characterizing enzyme activity is catalase (EC 1.11.1.6). (b) The ingredient meets the general requirements and additional requirements for enzyme preparations in the Food Chemicals Codex, 3d ed. (1981), p...

21 CFR 184.1443a - Malt.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... Substances Affirmed as GRAS § 184.1443a Malt. (a) Malt is an enzyme preparation obtained from barley which... a brown, sweet, and viscous liquid or a white to tan powder. Its characterizing enzyme activities... requirements and additional requirements for enzyme preparations in the Food Chemicals Codex, 3d ed. (1981), p...

21 CFR 184.1443a - Malt.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... Substances Affirmed as GRAS § 184.1443a Malt. (a) Malt is an enzyme preparation obtained from barley which... a brown, sweet, and viscous liquid or a white to tan powder. Its characterizing enzyme activities... requirements and additional requirements for enzyme preparations in the Food Chemicals Codex, 3d ed. (1981), p...

21 CFR 184.1443a - Malt.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... Substances Affirmed as GRAS § 184.1443a Malt. (a) Malt is an enzyme preparation obtained from barley which... a brown, sweet, and viscous liquid or a white to tan powder. Its characterizing enzyme activities... requirements and additional requirements for enzyme preparations in the Food Chemicals Codex, 3d ed. (1981), p...

21 CFR 184.1443a - Malt.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... Substances Affirmed as GRAS § 184.1443a Malt. (a) Malt is an enzyme preparation obtained from barley which... a brown, sweet, and viscous liquid or a white to tan powder. Its characterizing enzyme activities... requirements and additional requirements for enzyme preparations in the Food Chemicals Codex, 3d ed. (1981), p...

21 CFR 170.35 - Affirmation of generally recognized as safe (GRAS) status.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

...), except those subject to the NAS/NRC GRAS list survey (36 FR 20546; October 23, 1971), shall submit a... Food Chemicals Codex monograph should be included where applicable.) (g) Quantitative compositions. (h..., including: (a) References to qualitative and quantitative methods for determining the substance(s) in food...

78 FR 42693 - Hexythiazox; Pesticide Tolerances

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-17

....0 ppm, and strawberry at 6 ppm (proposed) for residues of hexythiazox and its metabolites containing... strawberry (representative commodity of CSG 13-07G). The current Codex MRL of 0.1 ppm for eggplant is based..., pome, group 11; caneberry subgroup 13A; grape; and strawberry from 40 CFR. These tolerances are being...

Kids as Curators: Virtual Art at the Seattle Museum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scanlan, Laura Wolff

2000-01-01

Discusses the use of technology at the Seattle Art Museum (Washington). Includes a Web site that enables students in grades six through ten to act as curators and offers integrations of technology in the exhibition "Leonardo Lives: The Codex Leicester and Leonardo da Vinci's Legacy of Art and Science." (CMK)

21 CFR 184.1141a - Ammonium phosphate, monobasic.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 184.1141a Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION (CONTINUED) DIRECT FOOD SUBSTANCES AFFIRMED AS GENERALLY RECOGNIZED AS... phosphoric acid at a pH below 5.8. (b) The ingredient meets the specifications of the Food Chemicals Codex...

21 CFR 184.1141a - Ammonium phosphate, monobasic.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 184.1141a Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION (CONTINUED) DIRECT FOOD SUBSTANCES AFFIRMED AS GENERALLY RECOGNIZED AS... phosphoric acid at a pH below 5.8. (b) The ingredient meets the specifications of the Food Chemicals Codex...

Lactobacillus bobalius sp. nov., a lactic acid bacterium isolated from Spanish Bobal grape must.

PubMed

Mañes-Lázaro, Rosario; Ferrer, Sergi; Rodas, Ana María; Urdiain, Mercedes; Pardo, Isabel

2008-12-01

A Lactobacillus strain, designated 203(T), previously isolated from Bobal grape must was characterized phylogenetically, genotypically and phenotypically in order to establish whether it represents a novel species. On the basis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence, strain 203(T) was shown to belong to the genus Lactobacillus, falling within the Lactobacillus alimentarius-Lactobacillus farciminis group and being closely related to the type strains of L. alimentarius, Lactobacillus kimchii and Lactobacillus paralimentarius. DNA-DNA hybridization results confirmed the separate status of strain 203(T) at the species level. To establish the similarities and differences between 203(T) and the three aforementioned closest species, the following methods were used: amplified rDNA restriction analysis, analysis of the 16S-23S rDNA intergenic spacer region, random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD) profiling, ribotyping, carbohydrate fermentation and physiological tests. Strain 203(T) could be differentiated genetically using RAPD analysis and ribotyping. Phenotypically, it can be distinguished from its closest relatives by its ability to grow at pH 3.3, by gas production from gluconate and by certain carbohydrate fermentations. On the basis of these data, strain 203(T) represents a novel species of the genus Lactobacillus, for which the name Lactobacillus bobalius sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is 203(T) (=CECT 7310(T) =DSM 19674(T)).

Books Born Digital

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eaton, Lance

2009-01-01

It used to be that a book was published first as a hardcover, then as a lower-cost paperback. With increasingly tech-savvy consumers demanding instantaneous access to content in various formats, that publishing protocol has in the last decade changed to one in which the book in codex form often remains the focus, but digital "extras"…

21 CFR 184.1443a - Malt.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

....1443a Malt. (a) Malt is an enzyme preparation obtained from barley which has been softened by a series... liquid or a white to tan powder. Its characterizing enzyme activities are α-amylase (EC 3.2.1.1.) and β... enzyme preparations in the Food Chemicals Codex, 3d ed. (1981), p. 110, which is incorporated by...

21 CFR 184.1914 - Trypsin.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... Substances Affirmed as GRAS § 184.1914 Trypsin. (a) Trypsin (CAS Reg. No. 9002-07-7) is an enzyme preparation... characterizing enzyme activity is that of a peptide hydrolase (EC 3.4.21.4). (b) The ingredient meets the general requirements and additional requirements for enzyme preparations in the Food Chemicals Codex, 3d ed. (1981), p...

21 CFR 172.167 - Silver nitrate and hydrogen peroxide solution.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... agent in bottled water. (b) Hydrogen peroxide meets the specifications of the “Food Chemicals Codex... information on the availability of this material at NARA, call 202-741-6030 or go to: http://www.archives.gov... exceed 17 micrograms per kilogram in the treated bottled water, and the amount of hydrogen peroxide will...

21 CFR 184.1141b - Ammonium phosphate, dibasic.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

....1141b Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION (CONTINUED) DIRECT FOOD SUBSTANCES AFFIRMED AS GENERALLY RECOGNIZED AS SAFE... acid at a pH above 5.8. (b) The ingredient meets the specifications of the Food Chemicals Codex, 3d Ed...

21 CFR 184.1141b - Ammonium phosphate, dibasic.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

....1141b Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION (CONTINUED) DIRECT FOOD SUBSTANCES AFFIRMED AS GENERALLY RECOGNIZED AS SAFE... acid at a pH above 5.8. (b) The ingredient meets the specifications of the Food Chemicals Codex, 3d Ed...

Protective effects of different marigold (Calendula officinalis L.) and rosemary cream preparations against sodium-lauryl-sulfate-induced irritant contact dermatitis.

PubMed

Fuchs, S M; Schliemann-Willers, S; Fischer, T W; Elsner, P

2005-01-01

In the present study, we evaluated the protective action of cream preparations containing seven different types of marigold and rosemary extracts in vivo in healthy volunteers with experimentally induced irritant contact dermatitis (ICD). Marigold and rosemary extracts in base cream DAC (Deutscher Arzneimittel-Codex = German Pharmaceutical Codex) were tested in a 4-day repetitive irritation test using sodium lauryl sulfate. The effect was evaluated visually and quantified by noninvasive bioengineering methods, namely chromametry and tewametry. When the test products were applied parallel to the induction period of ICD, a statistically significant protective effect of all cream preparations was observed by all methods. This effect, although not statistically significant, was superior to control by undyed marigold und faradiol ester-enriched extracts in chromametry and by dyed and undyed rosemary extracts in tewametry. The sequential treatment (postirritation) once a day for 5 days was without any effect. Thus, a protective effect of some marigold and rosemary extracts against ICD could be shown in the elicitation phase. Copyright (c) 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Adaptation of the ToxRTool to Assess the Reliability of Toxicology Studies Conducted with Genetically Modified Crops and Implications for Future Safety Testing.

PubMed

Koch, Michael S; DeSesso, John M; Williams, Amy Lavin; Michalek, Suzanne; Hammond, Bruce

2016-01-01

To determine the reliability of food safety studies carried out in rodents with genetically modified (GM) crops, a Food Safety Study Reliability Tool (FSSRTool) was adapted from the European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods' (ECVAM) ToxRTool. Reliability was defined as the inherent quality of the study with regard to use of standardized testing methodology, full documentation of experimental procedures and results, and the plausibility of the findings. Codex guidelines for GM crop safety evaluations indicate toxicology studies are not needed when comparability of the GM crop to its conventional counterpart has been demonstrated. This guidance notwithstanding, animal feeding studies have routinely been conducted with GM crops, but their conclusions on safety are not always consistent. To accurately evaluate potential risks from GM crops, risk assessors need clearly interpretable results from reliable studies. The development of the FSSRTool, which provides the user with a means of assessing the reliability of a toxicology study to inform risk assessment, is discussed. Its application to the body of literature on GM crop food safety studies demonstrates that reliable studies report no toxicologically relevant differences between rodents fed GM crops or their non-GM comparators.

Computational allergenicity prediction of transgenic proteins expressed in genetically modified crops.

PubMed

Verma, Alok Kumar; Misra, Amita; Subash, Swarna; Das, Mukul; Dwivedi, Premendra D

2011-09-01

Development of genetically modified (GM) crops is on increase to improve food quality, increase harvest yields, and reduce the dependency on chemical pesticides. Before their release in marketplace, they should be scrutinized for their safety. Several guidelines of different regulatory agencies like ILSI, WHO Codex, OECD, and so on for allergenicity evaluation of transgenics are available and sequence homology analysis is the first test to determine the allergenic potential of inserted proteins. Therefore, to test and validate, 312 allergenic, 100 non-allergenic, and 48 inserted proteins were assessed for sequence similarity using 8-mer, 80-mer, and full FASTA search. On performing sequence homology studies, ~94% the allergenic proteins gave exact matches for 8-mer and 80-mer homology. However, 20 allergenic proteins showed non-allergenic behavior. Out of 100 non-allergenic proteins, seven qualified as allergens. None of the inserted proteins demonstrated allergenic behavior. In order to improve the predictability, proteins showing anomalous behavior were tested by Algpred and ADFS separately. Use of Algpred and ADFS softwares reduced the tendency of false prediction to a great extent (74-78%). In conclusion, routine sequence homology needs to be coupled with some other bioinformatic method like ADFS/Algpred to reduce false allergenicity prediction of novel proteins.

21 CFR 173.368 - Ozone.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Ozone. 173.368 Section 173.368 Food and Drugs FOOD... Additives § 173.368 Ozone. Ozone (CAS Reg. No. 10028-15-6) may be safely used in the treatment, storage, and... specifications for ozone in the Food Chemicals Codex, 4th ed. (1996), p. 277, which is incorporated by reference...

21 CFR 173.368 - Ozone.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Ozone. 173.368 Section 173.368 Food and Drugs FOOD... Additives § 173.368 Ozone. Ozone (CAS Reg. No. 10028-15-6) may be safely used in the treatment, storage, and... specifications for ozone in the Food Chemicals Codex, 4th ed. (1996), p. 277, which is incorporated by reference...

21 CFR 173.368 - Ozone.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2010-04-01 2009-04-01 true Ozone. 173.368 Section 173.368 Food and Drugs FOOD... Additives § 173.368 Ozone. Ozone (CAS Reg. No. 10028-15-6) may be safely used in the treatment, storage, and... specifications for ozone in the Food Chemicals Codex, 4th ed. (1996), p. 277, which is incorporated by reference...

21 CFR 173.368 - Ozone.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Ozone. 173.368 Section 173.368 Food and Drugs FOOD... Additives § 173.368 Ozone. Ozone (CAS Reg. No. 10028-15-6) may be safely used in the treatment, storage, and... specifications for ozone in the Food Chemicals Codex, 4th ed. (1996), p. 277, which is incorporated by reference...

78 FR 71457 - Food Additive Regulations; Incorporation by Reference of the Food Chemicals Codex, 7th Edition

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-29

..., and 180 [Docket No. FDA-2010-F-0320] Food Additive Regulations; Incorporation by Reference of the Food... Food and Drug Administration (FDA or we) is amending select food additive regulations that incorporate..., had filed a food additive petition. The petition proposed that select food additive regulations in...

Accumulation of arsenic in leaves and grain are affected by variety and soil arsenic

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The arsenic (As) levels in rice grains and food products can reach toxic levels when produced under certain growing conditions found mostly in Asia. The World Health Organization (WHO) recently set a CODEX limit of 0.2 ppm inorganic As in milled white rice, and lower limits are expected to be set f...

Identification of genes and physiological factors that reduce accumulation of arsenic in rice grain

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The arsenic (As) levels in rice grains and food products can reach toxic levels when produced under certain growing conditions. The World Health Organization (WHO) recently set a CODEX limit of 0.2 ppm inorganic As in milled white rice, and lower limits may be set for baby food products. While studi...

The 1500th anniversary (512-2012) of the Juliana Anicia codex: an illustrated discoridean

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Greek herbal of Pedanios Dioskurides On Medical Matters was written about the year 65. It was destined to be one of the most famous books on pharmacology and medicine but is also rich in horticulture and plant ecology. The oldest surviving and most famous recension of this famous work, completed...

21 CFR 184.1866 - High fructose corn syrup.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false High fructose corn syrup. 184.1866 Section 184... Listing of Specific Substances Affirmed as GRAS § 184.1866 High fructose corn syrup. (a) High fructose... entitled “High-Fructose Corn Syrup” in the Food Chemicals Codex, 4th ed. (1996), pp. 191-192, which is...

21 CFR 184.1866 - High fructose corn syrup.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false High fructose corn syrup. 184.1866 Section 184... Listing of Specific Substances Affirmed as GRAS § 184.1866 High fructose corn syrup. (a) High fructose... entitled “High-Fructose Corn Syrup” in the Food Chemicals Codex, 4th ed. (1996), pp. 191-192, which is...

21 CFR 184.1866 - High fructose corn syrup.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2010-04-01 2009-04-01 true High fructose corn syrup. 184.1866 Section 184.1866... Listing of Specific Substances Affirmed as GRAS § 184.1866 High fructose corn syrup. (a) High fructose... entitled “High-Fructose Corn Syrup” in the Food Chemicals Codex, 4th ed. (1996), pp. 191-192, which is...

21 CFR 184.1866 - High fructose corn syrup.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false High fructose corn syrup. 184.1866 Section 184... Listing of Specific Substances Affirmed as GRAS § 184.1866 High fructose corn syrup. (a) High fructose... entitled “High-Fructose Corn Syrup” in the Food Chemicals Codex, 4th ed. (1996), pp. 191-192, which is...

Distribution of cadmium, iron and zinc in millstreams of hard winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Hard winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a major crop in the Great Plains of the United 14 States, and our previous work demonstrated that wheat genotypes vary for grain cadmium 15 accumulation, with some exceeding the CODEX standard (0.2 mg kg-1). Previous reports of 16 cadmium distribution in ...

Genetic, chemical, and field management strategies for reducing accumulation of arsenic in rice grains

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

There is public concern over amounts of arsenic contained in rice grains and foods. The World Health Organization (WHO) has set a CODEX limit of 0.2 ppm inorganic arsenic (iAs) in milled white rice, and a lower limit of 0.1 ppm for baby food products. Arsenic is of greater concern in rice than oth...

21 CFR 184.1061 - Lactic acid.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

....1061 Lactic acid. (a) Lactic acid (C3H6O3, CAS Reg. Nos.: dl mixture, 598-82-3; l-isomer, 79-33-4; d... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Lactic acid. 184.1061 Section 184.1061 Food and... hydrolysis to lactic acid. (b) The ingredient meets the specifications of the Food Chemicals Codex, 3d Ed...

Evaluation by Relevant Adults on the Time of Children's Inclusion into Sports--Recommendations and Warnings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sturza -Milic, Nataša; Nedimovic, Tanja

2016-01-01

Many social and cultural activities, including sport activities and physical activities of children, are under the influence of dominant codex and beliefs. A global trend is present for children to intensively train and compete at an increasingly younger age, before they are, in every way, ready. The main goal of the paper was to explore the…

Inter-laboratory validation of an inexpensive streamlined method to measure inorganic arsenic in rice grain

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

With the establishment by CODEX of a 200 ng/g limit of inorganic arsenic (iAs) in polished rice grain, more analyses of iAs will be necessary to ensure compliance in regulatory and trade applications, to assess quality control in commercial rice production, and to conduct research involving iAs in r...

Hormones in international meat production: biological, sociological and consumer issues.

PubMed

Galbraith, Hugh

2002-12-01

Beef and its products are an important source of nutrition in many human societies. Methods of production vary and include the use of hormonal compounds ('hormones') to increase growth and lean tissue with reduced fat deposition in cattle. The hormonal compounds are naturally occurring in animals or are synthetically produced xenobiotics and have oestrogenic (oestradiol-17beta and its esters; zeranol), androgenic (testosterone and esters; trenbolone acetate) or progestogenic (progesterone; melengestrol acetate) activity. The use of hormones as production aids is permitted in North American countries but is no longer allowed in the European Union (EU), which also prohibits the importation of beef and its products derived from hormone-treated cattle. These actions have resulted in a trade dispute between the two trading blocs. The major concern for EU authorities is the possibility of adverse effects on human consumers of residues of hormones and metabolites. Methods used to assess possible adverse effects are typical of those used by international agencies to assess acceptability of chemicals in human food. These include analysis of quantities present in the context of known biological activity and digestive, absorptive, post-absorptive and excretory processes. Particular considerations include the low quantities of hormonal compounds consumed in meat products and their relationships to endogenous production particularly in prepubertal children, enterohepatic inactivation, cellular receptor- and non-receptor-mediated effects and potential for interference with growth, development and physiological function in consumers. There is particular concern about the role of oestradiol-17beta as a carcinogen in certain tissues. Now subject to a 'permanent' EU ban, current evidence suggests that certain catechol metabolites may induce free-radical damage of DNA in cell and laboratory animal test systems. Classical oestrogen-receptor mediation is considered to stimulate proliferation in cells maintaining receptivity. Mathematical models describing quantitative relationships between consumption of small amounts of oestrogens in meat in addition to greater concentrations from endogenous production, chemical stoichiometry at cellular level and human pathology have not been developed. Such an approach will be necessary to establish 'molecular materiality' of the additional hormone intake as a component of relative risk assessment. The other hormones, although generally less well researched, are similarly subject to a range of tests to determine potentially adverse effects. The resulting limited international consensus relates to the application of the 'precautionary principle' and non-acceptance by the European Commission of the recommendations of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, which determined that meat from cattle, hormone-treated according to good practice, was safe for human consumers. The present review considers the hormone issue in the context of current international social methodology and regulation, recent advances in knowledge of biological activity of hormones and current status of science-based evaluation of food safety and risk for human consumers.

Detection and traceability of genetically modified organisms in the food production chain.

PubMed

Miraglia, M; Berdal, K G; Brera, C; Corbisier, P; Holst-Jensen, A; Kok, E J; Marvin, H J P; Schimmel, H; Rentsch, J; van Rie, J P P F; Zagon, J

2004-07-01

Both labelling and traceability of genetically modified organisms are current issues that are considered in trade and regulation. Currently, labelling of genetically modified foods containing detectable transgenic material is required by EU legislation. A proposed package of legislation would extend this labelling to foods without any traces of transgenics. These new legislations would also impose labelling and a traceability system based on documentation throughout the food and feed manufacture system. The regulatory issues of risk analysis and labelling are currently harmonised by Codex Alimentarius. The implementation and maintenance of the regulations necessitates sampling protocols and analytical methodologies that allow for accurate determination of the content of genetically modified organisms within a food and feed sample. Current methodologies for the analysis of genetically modified organisms are focused on either one of two targets, the transgenic DNA inserted- or the novel protein(s) expressed- in a genetically modified product. For most DNA-based detection methods, the polymerase chain reaction is employed. Items that need consideration in the use of DNA-based detection methods include the specificity, sensitivity, matrix effects, internal reference DNA, availability of external reference materials, hemizygosity versus homozygosity, extrachromosomal DNA, and international harmonisation. For most protein-based methods, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays with antibodies binding the novel protein are employed. Consideration should be given to the selection of the antigen bound by the antibody, accuracy, validation, and matrix effects. Currently, validation of detection methods for analysis of genetically modified organisms is taking place. In addition, new methodologies are developed, including the use of microarrays, mass spectrometry, and surface plasmon resonance. Challenges for GMO detection include the detection of transgenic material in materials with varying chromosome numbers. The existing and proposed regulatory EU requirements for traceability of genetically modified products fit within a broader tendency towards traceability of foods in general and, commercially, towards products that can be distinguished from each other. Traceability systems document the history of a product and may serve the purpose of both marketing and health protection. In this framework, segregation and identity preservation systems allow for the separation of genetically modified and non-modified products from "farm to fork". Implementation of these systems comes with specific technical requirements for each particular step of the food processing chain. In addition, the feasibility of traceability systems depends on a number of factors, including unique identifiers for each genetically modified product, detection methods, permissible levels of contamination, and financial costs. In conclusion, progress has been achieved in the field of sampling, detection, and traceability of genetically modified products, while some issues remain to be solved. For success, much will depend on the threshold level for adventitious contamination set by legislation. Copryright 2004 Elsevier Ltd.

Determination and Uncertainty Analysis of Inorganic Arsenic in Husked Rice by Solid Phase Extraction and Atomic Absorption Spectrometry with Hydride Generation.

PubMed

Saxena, Sushil Kumar; Karipalli, Agnes Raju; Krishnan, Anoop A; Rangasamy, Rajesh; Malekadi, Praveen; Singh, Dhirendra P; Vasu, Vimesh; Singh, Vijay K

2017-05-01

This study enables the selective determination of inorganic arsenic (iAs) with a low detection limit using an economical instrument [atomic absorption spectrometer with hydride generation (HG)] to meet the regulatory requirements as per European Commission (EC) and Codex guidelines. Dry rice samples (0.5 g) were diluted using 0.1 M HNO3-3% H2O2 and heated in a water bath (90 ± 2°C) for 60 min. Through this process, all the iAs is solubilized and oxidized to arsenate [As(V)]. The centrifuged extract was loaded onto a preconditioned and equilibrated strong anion-exchange SPE column (silica-based Strata SAX 500 mg/6 mL), followed by selective and sequential elution of As(V), enabling the selective quantification of iAs using atomic absorption spectrometry with HG. In-house validation showed a mean recovery of 94% and an LOQ of 0.025 mg/kg. The repeatability (HorRatr) and reproducibility (HorRatR) values were <2, meeting the performance criteria mandated by the EC. The combined standard measurement uncertainty by this method was less than the maximum standard measurement uncertainty; thus, the method can be considered for official control purposes. The method was applied for the determination of iAs in husked rice samples and has potential applications in other food commodities.

The knowns and unknowns of human milk banking.

PubMed

Simmer, Karen

2011-01-01

The provision of donor human milk instead of formula is an important contribution to the nutrition and protection from infections for preterm infants. Systematic reviews suggest a lower risk of necrotizing enterocolitis with pasteurized donor human milk (PDHM) as opposed to artificial formula, although evidence supporting PDHM use from randomized control trials is limited. Human milk banks (HMBs) must have a risk management system to maintain a safe product especially as many operate in an unregulated environment. To ensure safety, the HMB in Australia has committed to meet the appropriate standards recommended in the Code of Good Manufacturing Practices (Blood and Tissues) and models risk management during processing on Codex HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) requirements. There is scope to continually reevaluate the screening of donors and quality standards recommended during HMB. This will be most effective if strong networks of HMBs are developed with regional reference laboratories to encourage compliance with safety guidelines. Further research and development is needed to refine technology for treating donor milk such as thermal ultrasound and ultraviolet light, aimed at the retention of full bioactivity. HMB networks will facilitate collection of evidence for refining HMB practice which should translate to improved outcomes for preterm and sick infants. Cost effectiveness is most likely when HMBs are associated with large neonatal intensive care units. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Analytical method for fast screening and confirmation of multi-class veterinary drug residues in fish and shrimp by LC-MS/MS.

PubMed

Kim, Junghyun; Suh, Joon Hyuk; Cho, Hyun-Deok; Kang, Wonjae; Choi, Yong Seok; Han, Sang Beom

2016-01-01

A multi-class, multi-residue analytical method based on LC-MS/MS detection was developed for the screening and confirmation of 28 veterinary drug and metabolite residues in flatfish, shrimp and eel. The chosen veterinary drugs are prohibited or unauthorised compounds in Korea, which were categorised into various chemical classes including nitroimidazoles, benzimidazoles, sulfones, quinolones, macrolides, phenothiazines, pyrethroids and others. To achieve fast and simultaneous extraction of various analytes, a simple and generic liquid extraction procedure using EDTA-ammonium acetate buffer and acetonitrile, without further clean-up steps, was applied to sample preparation. The final extracts were analysed by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). The method was validated for each compound in each matrix at three different concentrations (5, 10 and 20 ng g(-1)) in accordance with Codex guidelines (CAC/GL 71-2009). For most compounds, the recoveries were in the range of 60-110%, and precision, expressed as the relative standard deviation (RSD), was in the range of 5-15%. The detection capabilities (CCβs) were below or equal to 5 ng g(-1), which indicates that the developed method is sufficient to detect illegal fishery products containing the target compounds above the residue limit (10 ng g(-1)) of the new regulatory system (Positive List System - PLS).

Cognitive Memory; A Computer Oriented Epistemological Approach to Information Storage and Retrieval. Interim Report, Phase I, 1 September 1967-28 February 1969.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Illinois Univ., Urbana. Coordinated Science Lab.

In contrast to conventional information storage and retrieval systems in which a body of knowledge is thought of as an indexed codex of documents to which access is obtained by an appropriately indexed query, this interdisciplinary study aims at an understanding of what is "knowledge" as distinct from a "data file," how this knowledge is acquired,…

Genetically modified crops: detection strategies and biosafety issues.

PubMed

Kamle, Suchitra; Ali, Sher

2013-06-15

Genetically modified (GM) crops are increasingly gaining acceptance but concurrently consumers' concerns are also increasing. The introduction of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) genes into the plants has raised issues related to its risk assessment and biosafety. The International Regulations and the Codex guidelines regulate the biosafety requirements of the GM crops. In addition, these bodies synergize and harmonize the ethical issues related to the release and use of GM products. The labeling of GM crops and their products are mandatory if the genetically modified organism (GMO) content exceeds the levels of a recommended threshold. The new and upcoming GM crops carrying multiple stacked traits likely to be commercialized soon warrant sensitive detection methods both at the DNA and protein levels. Therefore, traceability of the transgene and its protein expression in GM crops is an important issue that needs to be addressed on a priority basis. The advancement in the area of molecular biology has made available several bioanalytical options for the detection of GM crops based on DNA and protein markers. Since the insertion of a gene into the host genome may even cause copy number variation, this may be uncovered using real time PCR. Besides, assessing the exact number of mRNA transcripts of a gene, correlation between the template activity and expressed protein may be established. Here, we present an overview on the production of GM crops, their acceptabilities, detection strategies, biosafety issues and potential impact on society. Further, overall future prospects are also highlighted. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The knowns and unknowns of human milk banking.

PubMed

Simmer, Karen; Hartmann, Ben

2009-11-01

The PREM Bank has been providing pasteurised donor human milk (PDHM) to very preterm for the past 3 years. It is the first human milk bank (HMB) to operate in Australia in over 20 years. Our community has rapidly embraced the concept of human milk banking, with both donations and demand for PDHM exceeding expectations. Providing PDHM in 'exceptional circumstances' where a mothers' own milk is unavailable is supported by the WHO and UNICEF. We submit that neonatal intensive care is an exceptional circumstance. Although evidence supporting PDHM use from randomised control trial (RCT) is limited, the latest systematic reviews suggest a lower risk of necrotising enterocolitis with PDHM as opposed to artificial formula. Study design and ethical issues may limit future evidence from RCT. We therefore support the ongoing use of PDHM in neonatal care, where provided by an appropriately managed HMB. Internationally many HMBs operate unregulated, and this is also the case in Australia. To ensure safety the PREM Bank has committed to meet the appropriate standards recommended in the Code of Good Manufacturing Practices (Blood and Tissues) in Australia and models risk management during processing on Codex HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) requirements. There is scope to continually re-evaluate the screening of donors and quality standards recommended during HMB. This will be most effective if strong networks of HMBs are developed with regional reference laboratories to encourage compliance with safety guidelines. HMB networks will facilitate collection of evidence for refining HMB practice and improving outcomes for preterm and sick infants.

Magnitude of cyantraniliprole residues in tomato following open field application: pre-harvest interval determination and risk assessment.

PubMed

Malhat, Farag; Kasiotis, Konstantinos M; Shalaby, Shehata

2018-02-05

Cyantraniliprole is an anthranilic diamide insecticide, belonging to the ryanoid class, with a broad range of applications against several pests. In the presented work, a reliable analytical technique employing high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with photodiode array detector (HPLC-DAD) for analyzing cyantraniliprole residues in tomato was developed. The method was then applied to field-incurred tomato samples collected after applications under open field conditions. The latter aimed to ensure the safe application of cyantraniliprole to tomato and contribute the derived residue data to the risk assessment under field conditions. Sample preparation involved a single step extraction with acetonitrile and sodium chloride for partitioning. The extract was purified utilizing florisil as cleanup reagent. The developed method was further evaluated by comparing the analytical results with those obtained using the QuEChERS technique. The novel method outbalanced QuEChERS regarding matrix interferences in the analysis, while it met all guideline criteria. Hence, it showed excellent linearity over the assayed concentration and yielded satisfactory recovery rate in the range of 88.9 to 96.5%. The half-life of degradation of cyantraniliprole was determined at 2.6 days. Based on the Codex MRL, the pre-harvest interval (PHI) for cyantraniliprole on tomato was 3 days, after treatment at the recommended dose. To our knowledge, the present work provides the first record on PHI determination of cyantraniliprole in tomato under open field conditions in Egypt and the broad Mediterranean region.

Risk assessments of regional climate change over Europe: generation of probabilistic ensemble and uncertainty assessment for EURO-CODEX

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, J.; Kopp, R. E.

2017-12-01

Quantitative risk analysis of regional climate change is crucial for risk management and impact assessment of climate change. Two major challenges to assessing the risks of climate change are: CMIP5 model runs, which drive EURO-CODEX downscaling runs, do not cover the full range of uncertainty of future projections; Climate models may underestimate the probability of tail risks (i.e. extreme events). To overcome the difficulties, this study offers a viable avenue, where a set of probabilistic climate ensemble is generated using the Surrogate/Model Mixed Ensemble (SMME) method. The probabilistic ensembles for temperature and precipitation are used to assess the range of uncertainty covered by five bias-corrected simulations from the high-resolution (0.11º) EURO-CODEX database, which are selected by the PESETA (The Projection of Economic impacts of climate change in Sectors of the European Union based on bottom-up Analysis) III project. Results show that the distribution of SMME ensemble is notably wider than both distribution of raw ensemble of GCMs and the spread of the five EURO-CORDEX in RCP8.5. Tail risks are well presented by the SMME ensemble. Both SMME ensemble and EURO-CORDEX projections are aggregated to administrative level, and are integrated into impact functions of PESETA III to assess climate risks in Europe. To further evaluate the uncertainties introduced by the downscaling process, we compare the 5 runs from EURO-CORDEX with runs from the corresponding GCMs. Time series of regional mean, spatial patterns, and climate indices are examined for the future climate (2080-2099) deviating from the present climate (1981-2010). The downscaling processes do not appear to be trend-preserving, e.g. the increase in regional mean temperature from EURO-CORDEX is slower than that from the corresponding GCM. The spatial pattern comparison reveals that the differences between each pair of GCM and EURO-CORDEX are small in winter. In summer, the temperatures of EURO-CORDEX are generally lower than those of GCMs, while the drying trends in precipitation of EURO-CORDEX are smaller than those of GCMs. Climate indices are significantly affected by bias-correction and downscaling process. Our study provides valuable information for selecting climate indices in different regions over Europe.

VLTI-GRAVITY measurements of cool evolved stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wittkowski, M.; Rau, G.; Chiavassa, A.; Höfner, S.; Scholz, M.; Wood, P. R.; de Wit, W. J.; Eisenhauer, F.; Haubois, X.; Paumard, T.

2018-06-01

Context. Dynamic model atmospheres of Mira stars predict variabilities in the photospheric radius and in atmospheric molecular layers which are not yet strongly constrained by observations. Aims: Here we measure the variability of the oxygen-rich Mira star R Peg in near-continuum and molecular bands. Methods: We used near-infrared K-band spectro-interferometry with a spectral resolution of about 4000 obtained at four epochs between post-maximum and minimum visual phases employing the newly available GRAVITY beam combiner at the Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI). Results: Our observations show a continuum radius that is anti-correlated with the visual lightcurve. Uniform disc (UD) angular diameters at a near-continuum wavelength of 2.25 μm are steadily increasing with values of 8.7 ± 0.1 mas, 9.4 ± 0.1 mas, 9.8 ± 0.1 mas, and 9.9 ± 0.1 mas at visual phases of 0.15, 0.36, 0,45, 0.53, respectively. UD diameters at a bandpass around 2.05 μm, dominated by water vapour, follow the near-continuum variability at larger UD diameters between 10.7 mas and 11.7 mas. UD diameters at the CO 2-0 bandhead, instead, are correlated with the visual lightcurve and anti-correlated with the near-continuum UD diameters, with values between 12.3 mas and 11.7 mas. Conclusions: The observed anti-correlation between continuum radius and visual lightcurve is consistent with an earlier study of the oxygen-rich Mira S Lac, and with recent 1D CODEX dynamic model atmosphere predictions. The amplitude of the variation is comparable to the earlier observations of S Lac, and smaller than predicted by CODEX models. The wavelength-dependent visibility variations at our epochs can be reproduced by a set of CODEX models at model phases between 0.3 and 0.6. The anti-correlation of water vapour and CO contributions at our epochs suggests that these molecules undergo different processes in the extended atmosphere along the stellar cycle. The newly available GRAVITY instrument is suited to conducting longer time series observations, which are needed to provide strong constraints on the model-predicted intra- and inter-cycle variability. Based on observations made with the VLT Interferometer at Paranal Observatory under programme IDs 60.A-9176 and 098.D-0647.

Challenges to developing countries after joining WTO: risk assessment of chemicals in food.

PubMed

Chen, Junshi

2004-05-20

FAO/WHO encourages member countries to develop national food control measures based on risk assessment in order to assure proper protection level to consumers and facilitate fair trade. This is particularly important for developing countries as WTO members because it is clearly stated in the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) Agreement that: (a) SPS measures should be based on risk assessment techniques developed by relevant international organizations; and (b) Codex standards which is based on risk assessment are regarded as the international norm in trade dispute settlement. When conducting risk assessment on food chemicals (including additives and contaminants) in developing countries, in most cases it is not necessary to conduct their own hazard characterization because the ADIs or PTWIs of food chemicals developed by international expert groups (e.g. JECFA) are universally applicable and also developing countries do not have the resources to repeat those expensive toxicological studies. On the other hand, it is necessary to conduct exposure assessment in developing countries because exposure to food chemicals varies from country to country. This is not only crucial in setting national standards, but also very important for developing countries to participate in the process of developing Codex standards. In addition to food standard development, risk assessment is also useful in setting up priorities in imported food inspection and evaluating the success of various food safety control measures.

To Build a Better (Digital) Mousetrap: Testing the Learning Effectiveness of Al Gore's Book "Our Choice" against the iPad App Based on the Book in Order to Suggest Design Improvements for Future Enriched Ebooks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Halliday, Steven W.

2012-01-01

This sequential explanatory mixed methods study tested the learning effectiveness of a codex book against a convergent media resource based on the same content. It also investigated whether users of the two formats reported any differences in their liking of the two formats, or in their tendency to be persuaded to the degree that they altered…

Da Vinci's codex and the anatomy of healthcare.

PubMed

Stephens-Borg, Keith

2012-08-01

We usually display a laid-back approach to medical jargon throughout our theatre work. The word 'perioperative' is built from the Greek word 'peri' (around) and the Latin 'operari' (to work). Latin and Greek became the prefixed language of choice for Leonardo da Vinci, and his research was pivotal in determining the way in which surgical procedures are documented. Ancient manuscripts aided the unfolding of the secrets of anatomy, and Leonardo revealed that art was the key in expressive detailed explanation.

Greek Manuscripts at the Wellcome Library in London: A Descriptive Catalogue

PubMed Central

Bouras-Vallianatos, Petros

2015-01-01

This article presents a new, detailed catalogue of the Greek manuscripts at the Wellcome Library in London. It consists of an introduction to the history of the collection and its scholarly importance, followed by separate entries for each manuscript. Each entry identifies the text(s) found in the respective manuscript – including reference to existing printed edition(s) of such texts – and gives a physical description of the codex, details on its provenance and bibliographical references. PMID:25766544

International Symposium on Applications of Laser Techniques to Fluid Mechanics (7th) Held in Lisbon, Portugal on July 11-14, 1994. Volume 1

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-07-14

CHARACTERISTICS OF LOW MOLECULAR WEIGHT SHEAR-THINNING FLUIDS A. S. Pereira Departamento de Engenharia Quimica , Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto Rua...de S.Tom6. 4200 Porto CODEX. Portugal F. T. Pinho Departamento de Engenharia Mecinica e Gestio Industrial Faculdade de Engenharia , Rua dos Bragas. 4099...turbulence Investiga•:’o Cientifica- INIC. INEGI (lnstituto de Engenharia characteristics of the low molecular weight polymers are Mec~nica e Gestio

Treatment of clozapine-associated obesity and diabetes with exenatide (CODEX) in adults with schizophrenia: study protocol for a pilot randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Mayfield, Karla; Siskind, Dan; Winckel, Karl; Hollingworth, Samantha; Kisely, Steve; Russell, Anthony W

2015-06-01

Clozapine causes significant metabolic disturbances including obesity and type 2 diabetes. Recent evidence that reduced glucagon-like-peptide-1 (GLP-1) may contribute to aetiology of clozapine-associated metabolic dysregulation suggests a potential therapeutic role for GLP-1 agonists. This open-label, pilot randomised controlled trial evaluates the effect of exenatide in clozapine-treated obese adults who have schizophrenia, with or without poorly controlled diabetes. Sixty out-patients will be randomised to once weekly extended release exenatide or treatment as usual for 24 weeks. To evaluate the feasibility of larger studies regarding methodology, acceptability, tolerability and estimate efficacy for glycaemic control or weight loss. Secondary outcomes are psychosis severity and metabolic parameters. This is the first trial investigating GLP-1 agonists for glycaemic control and weight loss in clozapine-treated patients with either diabetes or obesity. Clozapine-associated obesity and diabetes with exenatide (CODEX) will provide proof-of-concept empirical evidence addressing whether this novel treatment is practical and worthy of further investigation. A.W.R. has received speaker honoraria and travel grants from AstraZeneca, BoehringerIngelheim, Eli Lilly, MSD, Novo Nordisk and Sanofi and has participated on advisory panels for MSD and Novo Nordisk. © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 2015. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Non-Commercial, No Derivatives (CC BY-NC-ND) licence.

The use of spore strips for monitoring the sterilization of bottled fluids.

PubMed Central

Selkon, J. B.; Sisson, P. R.; Ingham, H. R.

1979-01-01

A bacterial spore test has been developed which enables the efficacy of the sterilizing cycle recommended by the British Pharmaceutical Codex (1973) for bottled fluids to be accurately monitored. During a 14-month period this test detected faults in 3.3% of the sterilizing cycles, representing five distinct episodes of sterilization failure that passed unnoticed by the conventional controls of physical measurements and sterility testing. There were no failures of sterilization as detected by conventional techniques which were not indicated by the spore test. PMID:458140

Rare Earth Doped Semiconductors, Symposium Held in San Francisco, California on April 13-15, 1993. Materials Research Society Symposium Proceedings, Volume 301

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-02-04

LASERS 287 Jacques I. Pankove and Robert Feuerstein EXCITATION AND RELAXATION PROCESSES OF IMPACT EXCITATION EMISSION OF Er3+ IONS IN InP 293 T...Uwai, and K. Takahei, Appl. Phys. Lett., 53 (8), 1726-1728 (1988). 5. R. Boyn, phys. stat. sol. (b), 148 (11), 11-47 (1988). 6. F. Auzel, A. M. Jean ...Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto 2, 1699, Lisboa Codex, Portugal 3 FOM-lnstitute for Atomic and Molecular Physics, Kruislaan 407, 1098 SJ

Monitoring heavy metals, residual agricultural chemicals and sulfites in traditional herbal decoctions.

PubMed

Yu, In-Sil; Lee, Jeong-Sook; Kim, Sung-Dan; Kim, Yun-Hee; Park, Hae-Won; Ryu, Hoe-Jin; Lee, Jib-Ho; Lee, Jeong-Mi; Jung, Kweon; Na, Cheol; Joung, Jin-Yong; Son, Chang-Gue

2017-03-14

Asian traditional herbal preparations are frequently considered for the contamination with undeclared toxic or hazardous substances. The aim of this study was to determine the toxic heavy metals, pesticides and sulfur dioxide in decoctions that is a common form of final utilization in Korea. A total of 155 decoctions composed of multi-ingredient traditional herbs were randomly sampled from Seoul in Korea between 2013 and 2014. For each decoction, the concentrations of four heavy metals (arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury), 33 pesticides and sulfur dioxide were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), mercury analyzer, gas chromatography/nitrogen phosphorous detector (GC/NPD), gas chromatography/micro electron capture detector (GC/μECD), and Monier-Williams method respectively. One hundred fifty-two of One hundred fifty-five decoctions (98.1%) contained one of three heavy metals (96.1% for As, 97.4% for Cd, and 90.3% for Pb, 0.0% for Hg). Their average concentrations (77.0 ± 79.7 ug/kg for As, 20.4 ± 23.7 ug/kg for Cd, and 68.8 ± 76.5 ug/kg for Pb) were approximately 20% of the maximum allowable limits of vegetable or ginseng beverage described in the Korean Food Standard Codex while their 95th percentile concentrations were below than the guideline for them. None of 33 pesticides was detected in 155 decoction samples, and only one sample showed over limit of detection for residual sulfites. This study support that the contained status of toxic heavy metals, pesticides and sulfur dioxide in herbal decoctions are currently within safe level in Korea, and provide a reference data for the further studies focused on the safety herbal preparations.

Depletion study, withdrawal period calculation and bioaccumulation of sulfamethazine in tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) treated with medicated feed.

PubMed

Nunes, Kátia S D; Vallim, José H; Assalin, Márcia R; Queiroz, Sonia C N; Paraíba, Lourival C; Jonsson, Claudio M; Reyes, Felix G R

2018-04-01

The residue depletion of sulfamethazine (SMZ) was evaluated in tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) after 11 days of administration of medicated feed containing SMZ, at the dose of 422 mg/kg body weight (bw). The determination of SMZ in feed and tilapia fillet was carried out using the QuEChERS approach for sample preparation, and high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detector (HPLC-DAD) and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QToF-MS) for quantitation, respectively. Both methods were validated based on international and Brazilian guidelines and shown to be suitable for the intended purposes. The withdrawal period to reach the maximum residue level (MRL) of 100 μg/kg, according to the European Union (EU) legislative framework to all substances belonging to the sulfonamide (SA) group (EU, 2010), was 10 days (260 °C-day). After treatment, the maximum level of SMZ accumulation in the tilapia muscle was 1.6 mg/kg. SMZ was shown to be quickly excreted by tilapia. Thus, considering the acceptable daily intake of SMZ established by the Codex Commission (0-0.05 mg/kg bw), and a factor of 5 times the upper amount of fish consumption in Brazil (38 kg/year), this study showed that there is a low risk of adverse effects to consumers. This study offers subsidies not only for the establishment of public policies with regard to the use of veterinary drugs currently not allowed in a country by their legal legislative framework for fish farming, but also to fish producers for the proper handling to ensure safe fish fillets. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Oceans 1999 MTS/IEEE, Riding the Crest into the 21st Century

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-01-01

Universidade do Porto and Instituto de Sistemas e Robötica Rua dos Bragas, 4099 Porto Codex Portugal * Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto Rua de S...the TOC and the PAH-PCB’s. Fig. 7 is a comparison of the corrected Percentage (%) TOC and the Differential Bottom Loss. ü O t- o 01 $ c v...0) 0. 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 ► 0.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 10.0 12.0 14.0 16.0 Portion of Diff. BL for TOC (db) Fig. 7. Percentage

Determination of heavy metal content of processed fruit products from Tehran's market using ICP- OES: A risk assessment study.

PubMed

Fathabad, Ayub Ebadi; Shariatifar, Nabi; Moazzen, Mojtaba; Nazmara, Shahrokh; Fakhri, Yadolah; Alimohammadi, Mahmood; Azari, Ali; Mousavi Khaneghah, Amin

2018-05-01

In this study, the levels of Cd, Hg, Sn, Al, Pb and As of 72 samples (36 samples for fruits juices and 36 samples for fruits canned) of three different brands including of Peach, Orange, Cherry, and Pineapple (18 samples of each fruits) marketed in Tehran, Iran (2015) were evaluated using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) technique. Also, Probabilistic risk assessment (non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks) was estimated by models include target hazard quotient (THQ) and cancer risk (CR) in the Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS) model. However, all samples were contaminated with the heavy metals investigated, most of them not surpassed established standards. The range of concentration for Al, Sn, As, Cd, Hg, and Pb as average in fruit juices were reported as 340.62 (65.17-1039.2), 72.33 (49.76-119.4), 3.76 (1.137-18.36), 2.12 (0.89-3.44), 0.351 and 40.86 (27.87-66.1) μg/kg, respectively. The level of heavy metals measured in different kinds of fruit juices was ranked as Al > Sn > Pb > As > Cd > Hg, and for fruits canned this rank was Pb > Al > Sn > As > Cd > Hg. The range of concentration for Al, Sn, As, Cd, Hg, and Pb in fruits canned were reported as 361.23 (43.15-1121.2), 101.42 (71.45-141.61), 3.92 (1.279-19.50), 2.78 (1.09-5.56), 0.35 and 690.54 (470.56-910.14) μg/kg, respectively. The lead (Pb) concentration in 97.22% (35 out of 36 samples) of fruit juices samples surpassed Codex limit (0.05 mg/kg) and in all samples of FC was lower than the legal limit of Codex limit (1 mg/kg). All of the samples had Tin (Sn) lower than the legal limit of Codex (fruit juices 100 mg/kg and FC 250 mg/kg). The MCS indicated that the rank order of heavy metals in both adults and children based on THQ was Al > Sn > As > Pb > Cd > Hg. The THQ of Al and Sn in the FJ and FC, for both adults, and children, was considerably higher than 1 value. Also, CR of As in both adults and children were higher than 1E-6 value. Although the mean concentration of heavy metal in the FJ and FC was lower than the standard limit, the MCS indicated that adults and children are at considerable non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Health impact assessment of arsenic and cadmium intake via rice consumption in Bangkok, Thailand.

PubMed

Hensawang, Supanad; Chanpiwat, Penradee

2017-10-31

Consumption of contaminated food is a major route of exposure to toxic contaminants for humans. To protect against potential negative health effects from rice consumption, As and Cd concentrations in rice sold in Bangkok were determined, and non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risk assessments were conducted. Four types of rice (n = 97), namely, white jasmine, white, glutinous, and brown jasmine, were collected. Samples were acid-digested and analyzed for total concentrations of As and Cd by ICP-MS. The average concentrations of As and Cd were 0.205 ± 0.008 and 0.019 ± 0.001 mg kg -1 , respectively. Approximately 22.8, 62.5, and 57.1% of white, white jasmine, and brown jasmine rice, respectively, contained As concentrations exceeding the Codex inorganic As standards for polished and unpolished rice. Brown jasmine rice contained significantly higher As concentrations than the other types of rice. However, Cd concentrations in all rice samples were significantly lower than the Codex standard of 0.4 mg kg -1 . Children are exposed to the highest amounts of both elements. Concerning As exposure through the consumption of different types of rice in the same age group, the consumption of brown jasmine rice caused approximately 1.7 to 2.3 times higher As exposure rates compared to the consumption of other types of rice. Non-carcinogenic risks (hazard quotient (HQ)) of As exposure from all types of rice were higher than the threshold limit of 1. HQ in children ranging from 2.1 to 4.9 was significantly higher than HQ in the other age groups. The cancer risks from As exposure were negligible in all groups.

Food safety knowledge on the Bt mutant protein Cry8Ka5 employed in the development of coleopteran-resistant transgenic cotton plants.

PubMed

Farias, Davi F; Peijnenburg, Ad A C M; Grossi-de-Sá, Maria F; Carvalho, Ana F U

2015-01-01

Insecticidal Cry proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) have been exploited in the development of genetically modified (GM) crops for pest control. However, several pests are still difficult to control such as the coleopteran boll weevil Anthonomus grandis. By applying in vitro molecular evolution to the cry8Ka1 gene sequence, variants were generated with improved activity against A. grandis. Among them, Cry8Ka5 mutant protein showed coleoptericidal activity 3-fold higher (LC50 2.83 μg/mL) than that of the original protein (Cry8Ka1). Cry8Ka5 has been used in breeding programs in order to obtain coleopteran-resistant cotton plants. Nevertheless, there is some concern in relation to the food safety of transgenic crops, especially to the heterologously expressed proteins. In this context, our research group has performed risk assessment studies on Cry8Ka5, using the tests recommended by Codex as well as tests that we proposed as alternative and/or complementary approaches. Our results on the risk analysis of Cry8Ka5 taken together with those of other Cry proteins, point out that there is a high degree of certainty on their food safety. It is reasonable to emphasize that most safety studies on Cry proteins have essentially used the Codex approach. However, other methodologies would potentially provide additional information such as studies on the effects of Cry proteins and derived peptides on the indigenous gastrointestinal microbiota and on intestinal epithelial cells of humans. Additionally, emerging technologies such as toxicogenomics potentially will offer sensitive alternatives for some current approaches or methods.

Food safety knowledge on the Bt mutant protein Cry8Ka5 employed in the development of coleopteran-resistant transgenic cotton plants

PubMed Central

Farias, Davi F; Peijnenburg, Ad A C M; Grossi-de-Sá, Maria F; Carvalho, Ana F U

2015-01-01

Insecticidal Cry proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) have been exploited in the development of genetically modified (GM) crops for pest control. However, several pests are still difficult to control such as the coleopteran boll weevil Anthonomus grandis. By applying in vitro molecular evolution to the cry8Ka1 gene sequence, variants were generated with improved activity against A. grandis. Among them, Cry8Ka5 mutant protein showed coleoptericidal activity 3-fold higher (LC50 2.83 μg/mL) than that of the original protein (Cry8Ka1). Cry8Ka5 has been used in breeding programs in order to obtain coleopteran-resistant cotton plants. Nevertheless, there is some concern in relation to the food safety of transgenic crops, especially to the heterologously expressed proteins. In this context, our research group has performed risk assessment studies on Cry8Ka5, using the tests recommended by Codex as well as tests that we proposed as alternative and/or complementary approaches. Our results on the risk analysis of Cry8Ka5 taken together with those of other Cry proteins, point out that there is a high degree of certainty on their food safety. It is reasonable to emphasize that most safety studies on Cry proteins have essentially used the Codex approach. However, other methodologies would potentially provide additional information such as studies on the effects of Cry proteins and derived peptides on the indigenous gastrointestinal microbiota and on intestinal epithelial cells of humans. Additionally, emerging technologies such as toxicogenomics potentially will offer sensitive alternatives for some current approaches or methods. PMID:26513483

Food of the gods: cure for humanity? A cultural history of the medicinal and ritual use of chocolate.

PubMed

Dillinger, T L; Barriga, P; Escárcega, S; Jimenez, M; Salazar Lowe, D; Grivetti, L E

2000-08-01

The medicinal use of cacao, or chocolate, both as a primary remedy and as a vehicle to deliver other medicines, originated in the New World and diffused to Europe in the mid 1500s. These practices originated among the Olmec, Maya and Mexica (Aztec). The word cacao is derived from Olmec and the subsequent Mayan languages (kakaw); the chocolate-related term cacahuatl is Nahuatl (Aztec language), derived from Olmec/Mayan etymology. Early colonial era documents included instructions for the medicinal use of cacao. The Badianus Codex (1552) noted the use of cacao flowers to treat fatigue, whereas the Florentine Codex (1590) offered a prescription of cacao beans, maize and the herb tlacoxochitl (Calliandra anomala) to alleviate fever and panting of breath and to treat the faint of heart. Subsequent 16th to early 20th century manuscripts produced in Europe and New Spain revealed >100 medicinal uses for cacao/chocolate. Three consistent roles can be identified: 1) to treat emaciated patients to gain weight; 2) to stimulate nervous systems of apathetic, exhausted or feeble patients; and 3) to improve digestion and elimination where cacao/chocolate countered the effects of stagnant or weak stomachs, stimulated kidneys and improved bowel function. Additional medical complaints treated with chocolate/cacao have included anemia, poor appetite, mental fatigue, poor breast milk production, consumption/tuberculosis, fever, gout, kidney stones, reduced longevity and poor sexual appetite/low virility. Chocolate paste was a medium used to administer drugs and to counter the taste of bitter pharmacological additives. In addition to cacao beans, preparations of cacao bark, oil (cacao butter), leaves and flowers have been used to treat burns, bowel dysfunction, cuts and skin irritations.

Discovery of novel biomarkers and phenotypes by semantic technologies

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Biomarkers and target-specific phenotypes are important to targeted drug design and individualized medicine, thus constituting an important aspect of modern pharmaceutical research and development. More and more, the discovery of relevant biomarkers is aided by in silico techniques based on applying data mining and computational chemistry on large molecular databases. However, there is an even larger source of valuable information available that can potentially be tapped for such discoveries: repositories constituted by research documents. Results This paper reports on a pilot experiment to discover potential novel biomarkers and phenotypes for diabetes and obesity by self-organized text mining of about 120,000 PubMed abstracts, public clinical trial summaries, and internal Merck research documents. These documents were directly analyzed by the InfoCodex semantic engine, without prior human manipulations such as parsing. Recall and precision against established, but different benchmarks lie in ranges up to 30% and 50% respectively. Retrieval of known entities missed by other traditional approaches could be demonstrated. Finally, the InfoCodex semantic engine was shown to discover new diabetes and obesity biomarkers and phenotypes. Amongst these were many interesting candidates with a high potential, although noticeable noise (uninteresting or obvious terms) was generated. Conclusions The reported approach of employing autonomous self-organising semantic engines to aid biomarker discovery, supplemented by appropriate manual curation processes, shows promise and has potential to impact, conservatively, a faster alternative to vocabulary processes dependent on humans having to read and analyze all the texts. More optimistically, it could impact pharmaceutical research, for example to shorten time-to-market of novel drugs, or speed up early recognition of dead ends and adverse reactions. PMID:23402646

Lattice algebra approach to multispectral analysis of ancient documents.

PubMed

Valdiviezo-N, Juan C; Urcid, Gonzalo

2013-02-01

This paper introduces a lattice algebra procedure that can be used for the multispectral analysis of historical documents and artworks. Assuming the presence of linearly mixed spectral pixels captured in a multispectral scene, the proposed method computes the scaled min- and max-lattice associative memories to determine the purest pixels that best represent the spectra of single pigments. The estimation of fractional proportions of pure spectra at each image pixel is used to build pigment abundance maps that can be used for subsequent restoration of damaged parts. Application examples include multispectral images acquired from the Archimedes Palimpsest and a Mexican pre-Hispanic codex.

Lactobacillus versmoldensis sp. nov., isolated from raw fermented sausage.

PubMed

Kröckel, L; Schillinger, U; Franz, C M A P; Bantleon, A; Ludwig, W

2003-03-01

Lactobacillus versmoldensis sp. nov. (KU-3T) was isolated from raw fermented sausages. The new species was present in high numbers, and frequently dominated the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) populations of the products. 16S rDNA sequence data revealed that the isolates are closely related to the species Lactobacillus kimchii DSM 13961T, Lactobacillus paralimentarius DSM 13238T, Lactobacillus alimentarius DSM 20249T and Lactobacillus farciminis DSM 20184T. DNA-DNA reassociation data, however, clearly distinguished the new isolates from these species; they showed a low degree of DNA relatedness with the type strains of this group of phylogenetically closely related lactobacilli. These results warrant separate species status for strain KU-3T, for which the name Lactobacillus versmoldensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is KU-3T (=DSM 14857T =NCCB 100034T =ATCC BAA-478T).

Dioxins and PCBs in feed and food--review from European perspective.

PubMed

Malisch, Rainer; Kotz, Alexander

2014-09-01

During the 1990s, a number of adverse contamination incidents focussed the attention of the media and the general public on food safety. This led to the evaluation of safety measures with regard to dioxin intake from food. Important aspects regarding dioxins and PCBs in the food chain are reviewed here, allowing a contextual understanding of the present situation through its chronological developments. About 90-98% of the average exposure of humans to dioxins and PCBs results from dietary intake, with food of animal origin being the predominant source. Therefore, animal feed contributes considerably to the presence of these compounds in food. The detection of the "real" source of a contamination event in the food chain is a complex scientific problem and requires specific knowledge on production processes and changes of patterns during bioaccumulation. This is demonstrated by complex investigations performed in three studies on two continents to identify the source (e.g. from contamination of cow's milk in Germany, to citrus pulp pellets from Brazil as an ingredient in feed, then to contaminated lime for neutralization and finally to a landfill with residues of vinyl chloride monomer production). This example shows also the substantial economic losses resulting from incidents in the food chain and the consequences to global trade. In 2001, the EU Scientific Committee on Food established a group tolerable weekly intake (TWI) of 14 pg WHO-TEQ/kg body weight and concluded that a considerable proportion of the European population would exceed this TWI. On the global level, the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) provides scientific advice to the Codex Alimentarius Commission and therefore contributes to harmonized international food standards. In its evaluation of 2001, JECFA derived a provisional tolerable monthly intake (PTMI) of 70 pg TEQ/kg body weight. The sum of the median intake of PCDD/F-TEQ and PCB-TEQ exceeded the PTMI in Western European countries, was in the PTMI range in North America, but lower in Japan and New Zealand. The 90th percentile of PCDD/F-TEQ exceeded the PTMI in Western European countries and North America, the 90th percentile of coplanar PCBs in Western European countries. Therefore, in 2001 the EU Commission developed a strategy to reduce the presence of dioxins and PCBs in the environment and in the food chain. The legislative measures comprised maximum levels and action levels for feed and food, and a Rapid Alert System for detected incidents was introduced. The network of the EU Reference Laboratory and National Reference Laboratories contributes to harmonization within the EU Member States and developed analytical criteria for screening and confirmatory methods for control of feed and food. After all these efforts it is of general interest to see whether these measures had an effect. The 2012 evaluation of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) based on comprehensive monitoring data of 26 European countries shows a general decrease in dietary exposure of dioxins and DL-PCBs between 2002-2004 and 2008-2010, estimated to be between 16.6% and 79.3% for the different population groups. A smaller decrease was observed for NDL-PCBs. The percentage of individuals exposed above the TWI of 14 pg TEQ/kg b.w. was estimated to be between 1.0 and 52.9%. Toddlers and other children were the most exposed groups (being at the upper end of these ranges). Fish, meat and dairy products appeared to be the highest contributing food groups to dietary exposure. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Optical spectroscopy of ancient paper and textiles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Missori, M.

2016-03-01

Ancient paper and textiles represent a striking example of optically inhomogenous materials whose optical responses are strongly governed by scattering effects. In order to recover the absorption coefficient from non-invasive and non-destructive reflectance measurements a specific approach based on Kubelka-Munk two-flux theory must be applied. In this way quantitative chemical information, such as chromophores concentration, can be obtained, as well as quantitative spectra of additional substances such as pigments or dyes. Results on a folio of the Codex on the Flight of Birds by Leonardo da Vinci and a linen cloth dated back to 1653 and called the Shroud of Arquata, a copy of the Shroud of Turin, will be presented.

Lactobacillus nantensis sp. nov., isolated from French wheat sourdough.

PubMed

Valcheva, Rosica; Ferchichi, Mounir F; Korakli, Maher; Ivanova, Iskra; Gänzle, Michael G; Vogel, Rudi F; Prévost, Hervé; Onno, Bernard; Dousset, Xavier

2006-03-01

A polyphasic taxonomic study of the bacterial flora isolated from traditional French wheat sourdough, using phenotypic characterization and phylogenetic as well as genetic methods, revealed a consistent group of isolates that could not be assigned to any recognized species. These results were confirmed by randomly amplified polymorphic DNA and amplified fragment length polymorphism fingerprinting analyses. Cells were Gram-positive, homofermentative rods. Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis of the representative strain LP33T indicated that these strains belong to the genus Lactobacillus and that they formed a branch distinct from their closest relatives Lactobacillus farciminis, Lactobacillus alimentarius, Lactobacillus paralimentarius and Lactobacillus mindensis. DNA-DNA reassociation experiments with the three phylogenetically closest Lactobacillus species confirmed that LP33T (= DSM 16982T = CIP 108546T = TMW 1.1265T) represents the type strain of a novel species, for which the name Lactobacillus nantensis sp. nov. is proposed.

A national survey of marine biotoxins in wild-caught abalone in Australia.

PubMed

Malhi, Navreet; Turnbull, Alison; Tan, Jessica; Kiermeier, Andreas; Nimmagadda, Rama; McLeod, Catherine

2014-11-01

The first national survey of Australian wild-caught abalone was conducted between September 2012 and December 2013. The aim of the survey was to determine the presence of paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs), amnesic shellfish toxins (ASTs), and diarrhetic shellfish toxins (DSTs) in wild-caught abalone at levels above the current Codex marine biotoxin limits during the 2013 fishing season. Abalone (n = 190) were collected from 68 abalone-fishing blocks for which the combined annual harvest accounts for 80 % of Australian production. Concurrent seawater samples were collected and enumerated for potentially toxic phytoplankton. The foot and viscera tissues of each abalone sample were analyzed separately for PSTs, ASTs, and DSTs. No samples (abalone foot or viscera) contained toxins at levels exceeding the marine biotoxin limits stipulated by Codex. The resulting prevalence estimate suggests that less than 1.6 % of the commercially caught wild abalone population in Australia were contaminated with marine biotoxins at levels above the regulatory limit during the survey period. ASTs were detected at very low (trace) levels in the foot and viscera tissue of four and three abalone samples, respectively. To our knowledge, this represents the first reported detection of domoic acid in Australian abalone. PSTs also were detected at very low levels in 17 samples of abalone foot tissue and 6 samples of abalone viscera. The association between the low levels of ASTs and PSTs detected in abalone and the presence of potential toxin-producing phytoplankton in seawater samples was weak. DSTs were not detected in any abalone despite the detection of very low levels of DST-producing phytoplankton in a small number (9 of 77) of seawater samples. The results of this survey should be useful for public health risk assessments and provide additional evidence that the prevalence of marine biotoxins in Australian wild-caught abalone is very low.

OT2_eegami_6: SPIRE Snapshot Survey II: Using SPT/CODEX Massive Clusters as Powerful Gravitational Lenses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Egami, E.

2011-09-01

On the extragalactic side, one of the most remarkable results coming out of Herschel is the discovery of extremely bright (>100 mJy in the SPIRE bands) gravitationally lensed galaxies. The great sensitivity and mapping speed of SPIRE have enabled us to find these rare extraordinary objects. What is truly exciting about these bright lensed galaxies is that they enable a variety of detailed multi-wavelength follow-up observations, shedding new light on the physical properties of these high-redshift sources. In this regard, our OT1 program, "SPIRE Snapshot Survey of Massive Galaxy Clusters" turned out to be a great success. After imaging ~50 galaxies out of 279 in the program, we have already found two spectacularly bright lensed galaxies, one of which is at a redshift of 4.69. This type of cluster-lensed sources are not only bright but also spatially stretched over a large scale, so ALMA (or NOEMA in the north) is likely to be able to study them at the level of individual GMCs. Such studies will open up a new frontier in the study of high-redshift galaxies. Here, we propose to extend this highly efficient and effective survey of gravitationally lensed galaxies to another 353 clusters carefully chosen from the SPT and CODEX cluster samples. These samples contain newly discovered high-redshift (z>0.3) massive (>3-4e14 Msun) clusters, which can be used as powerful gravitational lenses to magnify sources at high redshift. With the OT1 and OT2 surveys together, we expect to find ~20 highly magnified SPIRE sources with exceptional brightnesses (assuming a discovery rate of ~1/30). Such a unique sample of extraordinary objects will enable a variety of follow-up sciences, and will therefore remain as a great legacy of the Herschel mission for years to come.

Health claims assessment in the field of joint and cartilage: a consensus viewpoint of the Group for the Respect of Ethics and Excellence in Science.

PubMed

Bruyère, O; Avouac, B; Richette, P; Maheu, E; Bruel, P; Coxam, V; Guillou, G B; Lugrin, A-E; Merceron, C; Pauquai, T; Rannou, F; Ythier-Moury, P; Tsouderos, Y; Urban, N; Rovati, L; Guicheux, J; Reginster, J-Y

2012-04-01

In 2006, the European Parliament and Council issued a regulation (No. 1924/2006) for the nutrition and health claims made on foods, including food supplements. According to the regulation, the use of nutrition and health claims shall only be permitted if the substance in respect of which the claim is made has been shown to have a beneficial nutritional or physiological effect. In the field of joint and cartilage health, there is no clear scientific-based definition of the nature of such a beneficial nutritional or physiological effect. The objective of this paper is to scientifically define the possible content of health claims related to joint and cartilage health and to provide scientific guidelines for the design of clinical studies which need to be adopted to substantiate such health claims. Literature review up to September 2011 followed by a consensus expert discussion organized by the Group for the Respect of Ethics and Excellence in Science (GREES). In line with the general principles of the PASSCLAIM and the Codex recommendations, the GREES identified four acceptable health claims related to joint and cartilage health based on the effects on discomfort, joint and cartilage structural integrity or risk factors for joint and cartilage diseases. The GREES considers that randomized controlled trials on a relevant outcome is the best design to assess health claims. Moreover, animal studies could also be of interest to substantiate some health claims, to assess the clinical relevance of endpoints used in human studies or to extrapolate data obtained in patients to the target (apparently) healthy population. According to the methodology and biomarkers used in the study and whether or not additional animal studies are provided to support the claim, various health claims can be acceptable in the field of joint and cartilage health.

Multi-residue analysis of pesticides, plant hormones, veterinary drugs and mycotoxins using HILIC chromatography - MS/MS in various food matrices.

PubMed

Danezis, G P; Anagnostopoulos, C J; Liapis, K; Koupparis, M A

2016-10-26

One of the recent trends in Analytical Chemistry is the development of economic, quick and easy hyphenated methods to be used in a field that includes analytes of different classes and physicochemical properties. In this work a multi-residue method was developed for the simultaneous determination of 28 xenobiotics (polar and hydrophilic) using hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography technique (HILIC) coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) technology. The scope of the method includes plant growth regulators (chlormequat, daminozide, diquat, maleic hydrazide, mepiquat, paraquat), pesticides (cyromazine, the metabolite of the fungicide propineb PTU (propylenethiourea), amitrole), various multiclass antibiotics (tetracyclines, sulfonamides quinolones, kasugamycin and mycotoxins (aflatoxin B1, B2, fumonisin B1 and ochratoxin A). Isolation of the analytes from the matrix was achieved with a fast and effective technique. The validation of the multi-residue method was performed at the levels: 10 μg/kg and 100 μg/kg in the following representative substrates: fruits-vegetables (apples, apricots, lettuce and onions), cereals and pulses (flour and chickpeas), animal products (milk and meat) and cereal based baby foods. The method was validated taking into consideration EU guidelines and showed acceptable linearity (r ≥ 0.99), accuracy with recoveries between 70 and 120% and precision with RSD ≤ 20% for the majority of the analytes studied. For the analytes that presented accuracy and precision values outside the acceptable limits the method still is able to serve as a semi-quantitative method. The matrix effect, the limits of detection and quantification were also estimated and compared with the current EU MRLs (Maximum Residue Levels) and FAO/WHO MLs (Maximum Levels) or CXLs (Codex Maximum Residue Limits). The combined and expanded uncertainty of the method for each analyte per substrate, was also estimated. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[The original German scholarly literature of medieval falconry and the history of its scientific research].

PubMed

Giese, Martina

2007-01-01

German scholarly literature (Fachliteratur) of the middle ages devoted to falconry falls into two main categories: Translations, mostly of latin works, and original treatises. After a short survey of falconry in the past, this article will discuss the original treatises and the history of their analysis since the 19th century. In this context it will deal with the research of the following scholars: Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall, Anton von Perger, Ernst von Dombrowski, Hermann Werth, Christoph von Biedermann and--most importantly--Kurt Lindner. The appendix contains the editio princeps of the German Münchener Rezeptar I from the codex unicus, München, Universitätsbibliothek, 80 Cod. ms. 354, fol. 31r-33r (dating from the 15th century).

[Global aspects of medical ethics: conditions and possibilities].

PubMed

Neitzke, G

2001-01-01

A global or universal code of medical ethics seems paradoxical in the era of pluralism and postmodernism. A different conception of globalisation will be developed in terms of a "procedural universality". According to this philosophical concept, a code of medical ethics does not oblige physicians to accept certain specific, preset, universal values and rules. It rather obliges every culture and society to start a culture-sensitive, continuous, and active discourse on specific issues, mentioned in the codex. This procedure might result in regional, intra-cultural consensus, which should be presented to an inter-cultural dialogue. To exemplify this procedure, current topics of medical ethics (spiritual foundations of medicine, autonomy, definitions concerning life and death, physicians' duties, conduct within therapeutic teams) will be discussed from the point of view of western medicine.

[Master files: less paper, more substance. Special rules for special medicines: Plasma Master File and Vaccine Antigen Master File].

PubMed

Seitz, Rainer; Haase, M

2008-07-01

The process of reviewing the European pharmaceutical legislation resulted in a codex, which contains two new instruments related to marketing authorisation of biological medicines: Plasma Master File (PMF) and Vaccine Antigen Master File (VAMF). In the manufacture of plasma derivatives (e. g. coagulation factors, albumin, immunoglobulins), usually the same starting material, i. e. a plasma pool, is used for several products. In the case of vaccines, the same active substance, i.e. vaccine antigen, may be included in several combination vaccine products. The intention behind the introduction of PMF and VAMF was to avoid unnecessary and redundant documentation, and to improve and harmonise assessment by means of procedures for certification of master files on the community level.

A combination of acid lactase from Aspergillus oryzae and yogurt bacteria improves lactose digestion in lactose maldigesters synergistically: A randomized, controlled, double-blind cross-over trial.

PubMed

de Vrese, Michael; Laue, Christiane; Offick, Birte; Soeth, Edlyn; Repenning, Frauke; Thoß, Angelika; Schrezenmeir, Jürgen

2015-06-01

Lactose digestion can be improved in subjects with impaired or completely absent intestinal lactase activity by administration of lactase preparations and particularly of acid lactase, which is active in the stomach, or by yogurt containing live lactic acid bacteria. It is the question, if lactose digestion can be further enhanced by combining these two approaches. We investigated in a randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind, 5-arm crossover study on 24 lactose malabsorbers with variable degrees of lactase deficiency if different lactase preparations and freeze-dried yogurt culture affect gastrointestinal lactose digestion after consuming moderate amounts of lactose (12.5 g) by assessing hydrogen exhalation over 6 h. Furthermore, symptoms of lactose intolerance (excess gas production, abdominal pain, diarrhoea or nausea) were assessed using validated questionnaires. All preparations increased lactose digestion and reduced peak hydrogen exhalation by -27% (yogurt), -29/-33% (3300/9000 FCC(1) ((1) One FCC hydrolyses about 5 or 1.7-2.5 mg lactose in aquous solution or in (artificial) chyme, respectively, according to the FCC-III method of the Committee on Codex Specifications, Food and Nutrition Board, National Research Council. Food Chemicals Codex, 3rd edition. Washington, DC, National Academy Press, 1981 It cannot precisely be defined how much lactose can be hydrolysed in vivo by the consumption of a certain number of FCC units.) units acid lactase from Aspergillus oryzae) or -46%, respectively (3300 FCC units lactase plus yogurt culture combined), as compared with placebo (p < 0.001, Friedman test). The combination preparation had not only the strongest effect, but also showed the lowest variance in H(2)-exhalation values (less malabsorbers with no reduction of H(2)-exhalation) Apart from this, both the higher dose lactase and the combination preparation significantly reduced the symptoms most closely associated with H(2)-exhalation, namely flatulences and abdominal pain, respectively. The combined administration of freeze-dried yogurt cultures and acid lactase increases lactose digestion more than either freeze-dried yogurt cultures or acid lactase alone, and more lactose malabsorbers benefited from this effect. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Molecular Dynamics in the Crystalline Regions of Poly(ethylene oxide) Containing a Well-Defined Point Defect in the Middle of the Polymer Chain.

PubMed

Golitsyn, Yury; Pulst, Martin; Kressler, Jörg; Reichert, Detlef

2017-05-04

The chain mobility in crystals of a homopolymer of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) with 22 monomer units (PEO 22 ) is compared with that of a PEO having the identical number of monomer units but additionally a 1,4-disubstituted 1,2,3-triazole (TR) point defect in the middle of the chain (PEO 11 -TR-PEO 11 ). In crystals of PEO 22 , the characteristic α c -relaxation (helix jumps) is detected and the activation energy of this process is calculated from the pure crystalline 1 H FIDs to 67 kJ/mol. PEO 11 -TR-PEO 11 exhibits a more complex behavior, i.e. a transition into the high temperature phase HTPh is noticed during heating in the temperature range between -5 and 10 °C which is attributed to the incorporation of the TR ring into the crystalline lamellae. The crystal mobility of the low temperature phase LTPh of PEO 11 -TR-PEO 11 is in good agreement with PEO 22 since helical jump motions could also be detected by analysis of the 1 H FIDs and the corresponding values of their second moments M 2 . In contrast, the high temperature phase of PEO 11 -TR-PEO 11 shows a completely different behavior of the crystal mobility. The crystalline PEO chains are rigid in this HTPh on the time scale of both, the 1 H time-domain technique and in 13 C MAS CODEX NMR spectroscopy, i.e. the α c -mobility of PEO in the HTPh of PEO 11 -TR-PEO 11 is completely suppressed and the PEO 11 chains are converted into a crystal-fixed polymer due to the incorporation of the TR rings into the crystal structure. However, the TR defect of PEO 11 -TR-PEO 11 shows in the HTPh characteristic π-flip motions with an Arrhenius type activation energy of 223 kJ/mol measured by dielectric relaxation spectroscopy. This motion cannot be observed by corresponding 13 C MAS CODEX NMR measurements due to an interfering spin-dynamic effect.

The levels of mercury, methylmercury and selenium and the selenium health benefit value in grey-eel catfish (Plotosus canius) and giant mudskipper (Periophthalmodon schlosseri) from the Strait of Malacca.

PubMed

Looi, Ley Juen; Aris, Ahmad Zaharin; Haris, Hazzeman; Yusoff, Fatimah Md; Hashim, Zailina

2016-06-01

The present study examined the concentrations of mercury (Hg), methylmercury (MeHg), and selenium (Se) in the multiple tissues of the Plotosus canius and Periophthalmodon schlosseri collected from the Strait of Malacca. The mean value in mg kg(-1) of Hg (P. canius: 0.34 ± 0.19; P. schlosseri: 0.32 ± 0.18) and MeHg in muscle (P. canius: 0.14 ± 0.11; P. schlosseri: 0.17 ± 0.11) were below the Codex general standard for contaminants and toxins in food and feed (CODEX STAN 193-1995), the Malaysian Food Regulation 1985 and the Japan Food Sanitation Law. For P. canius, the liver contained the highest concentrations of Hg (0.48 ± 0.07 mg kg(-1)) and MeHg (0.21 ± 0.00 mg kg(-1)), whereas for P. schlosseri, the gill contained the highest concentrations of Hg (0.36 ± 0.06 mg kg(-1)) and MeHg (0.21 ± 0.05 mg kg(-1)). The highest concentration of (80)Se (mg kg(-1)) was observed in the liver of P. canius (20.34 ± 5.68) and in the gastrointestinal tract (3.18 ± 0.42) of P. schlosseri. The selenium:mercury (Se:Hg) molar ratios were above 1 and the positive selenium health benefit value (HBVSe) suggesting the possible protective effects of Se against Hg toxicity. The estimate weekly intakes (EWIs) in μg kg(-1) body weight (bw) week(-1) of Hg (P. canius: 0.27; P. schlosseri: 0.15) and MeHg (P. canius: 0.11; P. schlosseri: 0.08) were found to be lower than the provisional tolerable weekly intake established by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). Based on the calculated EWIs, P. canius, and P. schlosseri were found to be unlikely to cause mercury toxicity in human consumption. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Side-chain conformation of the M2 transmembrane peptide proton channel of influenza a virus from 19F solid-state NMR.

PubMed

Luo, Wenbin; Mani, Rajeswari; Hong, Mei

2007-09-13

The M2 transmembrane peptide (M2TMP) of the influenza A virus forms a tetrameric helical bundle that acts as a proton-selective channel important in the viral life cycle. The side-chain conformation of the peptide is largely unknown and is important for elucidating the proton-conducting mechanism and the channel stability. Using a 19F spin diffusion NMR technique called CODEX, we have measured the oligomeric states and interhelical side chain-side chain 19F-19F distances at several residues using singly fluorinated M2TMP bound to DMPC bilayers. 19F CODEX data at a key residue of the proton channel, Trp41, confirm the tetrameric state of the peptide and yield a nearest-neighbor interhelical distance of approximately 11 A under both neutral and acidic pH. Since the helix orientation is precisely known from previous 15N NMR experiments and the backbone channel diameter has a narrow allowed range, this 19F distance constrains the Trp41 side-chain conformation to t90 (chi1 approximately 180 degrees , chi2 approximately 90 degrees ). This Trp41 rotamer, combined with a previously measured 15N-13C distance between His37 and Trp411, suggests that the His37 rotamer is t-160. The implication of the proposed (His37, Trp41) rotamers to the gating mechanism of the M2 proton channel is discussed. Binding of the antiviral drug amantadine to the peptide does not affect the F-F distance at Trp41. Interhelical 19F-19F distances are also measured at residues 27 and 38, each mutated to 4-19F-Phe. For V27F-M2TMP, the 19F-19F distances suggest a mixture of dimers and tetramers, whereas the L38F-M2TMP data indicate two tetramers of different sizes, suggesting side chain conformational heterogeneity at this lipid-facing residue. This work shows that 19F spin diffusion NMR is a valuable tool for determining long-range intermolecular distances that shed light on the mechanism of action and conformational heterogeneity of membrane protein oligomers.

Characterisation of volatile compounds produced by bacteria isolated from the spoilage flora of cold-smoked salmon.

PubMed

Joffraud, J J; Leroi, F; Roy, C; Berdagué, J L

2001-06-15

This study investigated the volatile compounds produced by bacteria belonging to nine different bacterial groups: Lactobacillus sake, L. farciminis, L. alimentarius, Carnobacterium piscicola, Aeromonas sp., Shewanella putrefaciens, Brochothrix thermosphacta, Photobacterium phosphoreum and Enterobacteriaceae isolated from cold-smoked salmon. Each bacterial group was represented by several strains. In addition, combinations of the groups were examined as well. Sterile blocks of cold-smoked salmon were inoculated, vacuum-packed and stored at 6 degrees C. After 40 days of storage at 6 degrees C, aerobic viable count and pH were recorded, the volatile fraction of the samples was analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and spoilage was assessed by sensory evaluation. Among the 81 volatile compounds identified by GC-MS, 30 appeared to be released as a result of bacterial metabolism. Some of the effects of inoculated bacterial strains on the composition of the volatile fraction seemed to be characteristic of certain bacterial species. Sensory analysis showed relationships between bacteria, the composition of the volatile fraction and the organoleptic quality of smoked salmon.

Molecular analysis of sourdough reveals Lactobacillus mindensis sp. nov.

PubMed

Ehrmann, Matthias A; Müller, Martin R A; Vogel, Rudi F

2003-01-01

Genotypic fingerprinting to analyse the bacterial flora of an industrial sourdough revealed a coherent group of strains which could not be associated with a valid species. Comparative 16S rDNA sequence analysis showed that these strains formed a homogeneous cluster distinct from their closest relatives, Lactobacillus farciminis, Lactobacillus alimentarius and Lactobacillus kimchii. To characterize them further, physiological (sugar fermentation, formation of DL-lactate, hydrolysis of arginine, growth temperature, CO2 production) and chemotaxonomic properties have been determined. The DNA G +C content was 37.5 0.2 mol%. The peptidoglycan was of the lysine-D-iso-asparagine (L-Lys-D-Asp) type. The strains were homofermentative, Gram-positive, catalase-negative, non-spore-forming, non-motile rods. They were found as a major stable component of a rye flour sourdough fermentation. Physiological, biochemical as well as genotypic data suggested them to be a new species of the genus Lactobacillus. This was confirmed by DNA-DNA hybridization of genomic DNA, and the name Lactobacillus mindensis is proposed. The type strain of this species is DSM 14500T (=LMG 21508T).

The Books of Chilam Balam: astronomical content and the Paris Codex.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paxton, M.

Written predominantly in the Maya language but almost entirely in European script, the Books of Chilam Balam are post-Conquest counterparts of pre-Columbian hieroglyphic codices. Not all of the texts have been fully analyzed. The Books of Chilam Balam is historical celendrical, astrological, prophetic, medical, and religious, these works offer promise of broad information on pre-Hispanic Maya practices. In reviewing the astronomical content of the sections of the Books of Chilam Balam identified in the Miram study as generally pre-Columbian in origin, it is evident that some passages contain complex metaphors. Thus it is possible to gain some understanding of the celestial concepts of the ancient Maya from the poetic and esoteric accounts. However, as much of this information may pass unnoticed by non-Mayans, the clearest insights concerning pre-Columbian Maya astronomy come from the sections of the Books of Chilam Balam that are more computational in nature.

Identification of gamma-irradiated papaya, melon and watermelon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marín-Huachaca, Nélida S.; Mancini-Filho, Jorge; Delincée, Henry; Villavicencio, Anna Lúcia C. H.

2004-09-01

Ionizing radiation can be used to control spoilage microorganisms and to increase the shelf life of fresh fruits and vegetables in replacement for the treatment with chemical fumigants. In order to enforce labelling regulations, methods for detecting the irradiation treatment directly in the produce are required. Recently, a number of detection methods for irradiated food have been adopted by the Codex Comission. A rapid screening method for qualitative detection of irradiation is the DNA Comet Assay. The applicability of the DNA Comet Assay for distinguishing irradiated papaya, melon, and watermelon was evaluated. The samples were treated in a 60Co facility at dose levels of 0.0, 0.5, 0.75, and 1.0kGy. The irradiated samples showed typical DNA fragmentation whereas cells from non-irradiated ones appeared intact. In addition to the DNA Comet Assay also the half-embryo test was applied in melon and watermelon to detect the irradiation treatment.

Standards of nutrition for athletes in Germany.

PubMed

Diel, F; Khanferyan, R A

2013-01-01

The Deutscher Olympische Sportbund (DOSB) founded recently an advisory board for German elite athlete nutrition, the 'Arbeitsgruppe (AG) Ernahrungsberatung an den Olympiastutzpunkten'. The 'Performance codex and quality criteria for the food supply in facilities of German elite sports' have been established since 1997. The biochemical equivalent (ATP) for the energy demand is calculated using the DLW (Double Labeled Water)-method on the basis of RMR (Resting Metabolic Rate) and BMR (Basic Metabolic Rate) at sport type specific exercises and performances. Certain nutraceutical ingredients for dietary supplements can be recommended. However, quality criteria for nutrition, cooking and food supply are defined on the basis of Health Food and the individual physiological/social-psychological status of the athlete. Especially food supplements and instant food have to be avoided for young athletes. The German advisory board for elite athlete nutrition publishes 'colour lists' for highly recommended (green), acceptable (yellow), and less recommended (red) food stuff.

Probiotic administration effect on fecal mutagenicity and microflora in the goat's gut.

PubMed

Apás, Ana Lidia; Dupraz, Javier; Ross, Romina; González, Silvia Nelina; Arena, Mario Eduardo

2010-11-01

The application of potentially beneficial microorganisms to increase host defense is a new trend to increase health benefits. In this paper the first specific host probiotics for goats from a mixture isolated from healthy animals (Lactobacillus reuteri DDL 19, Lactobacillus alimentarius DDL 48, Enterococcus faecium DDE 39 and Bifidobacterium bifidum DDBA) was assayed. The effect of probiotic oral administration on goats' weight, gut microbiota, as well as on the production of mutagen compounds and their indicator (putrescine), were evaluated. The probiotic supplement was able to modify microflora balance by reducing Enterobacteria like Salmonella/Shigella (1.09 and 1.21 log CFU/g feces, respectively) and increasing lactic acid bacteria and Bifidobacteria (1.67 and 2.34 log CFU/g feces, respectively). The probiotics administration was correlated with a ten time diminution of fecal putrescine (cancer and bacterial disease marker) and a decrease of 60% mutagen fecal concentration, indicating the protective effect of the treatment. Additionally, a significant increase in ruminant weight was observed after probiotic administration. These results are encouraging towards the use of probiotic mixtures as functional food for goats. Copyright © 2010 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Microbial Diversity of Type I Sourdoughs Prepared and Back-Slopped with Wholemeal and Refined Soft (Triticum aestivum) Wheat Flours.

PubMed

Taccari, Manuela; Aquilanti, Lucia; Polverigiani, Serena; Osimani, Andrea; Garofalo, Cristiana; Milanović, Vesna; Clementi, Francesca

2016-08-01

The fermentation of type I sourdough was studied for 20 d with daily back-slopping under laboratory and artisan bakery conditions using 1 wholemeal and 2 refined soft wheat (Triticum aestivum) flours. The sourdough bacterial and yeast diversity and dynamics were investigated by plate counting and a combination of culture-dependent and culture-independent PCR-DGGE approach. The pH, total titrable acidity, and concentration of key organic acids (phytic, lactic, and acetic) were measured. Three flours differed for both chemical and rheological properties. A microbial succession was observed, with the atypical sourdough species detected at day 0 (i.e. Lactococcus lactis and Leuconostoc holzapfelii/citreum group for bacteria and Candida silvae and Wickerhamomyces anomalus for yeasts) being progressively replaced by taxa more adapted to the sourdough ecosystem (Lactobacillus brevis, Lactobacillus alimentarius/paralimentarius, Saccharomyces cerevisiae). In mature sourdoughs, a notably different species composition was observed. As sourdoughs propagated with the same flour at laboratory and artisan bakery level were compared, the influence of both the substrate and the propagation environment on microbial diversity was assumed. © 2016 Institute of Food Technologists®

[Julien-Francois Jeannel (1814-1896). A "Prothee", or a singular military pharmacist officer].

PubMed

Galmiche, J

1998-01-01

Military pharmacist officer since 1838, Julien Jeannel studied medicine too (1838 Class). During the algerian campaign (1840), surrounded inside Medea, he slaughtered the whole part of sick animals to cook up bubbles next changed into stock cubes (Never patented!). Nominated in Toulouse and further in Bordeaux, he wrote many books about worker's medicine, anaesthesia, suicide, syphilis, prostitution as well as a french Codex the Army used until 1918. In 1858, he set up the A.G.M.F. (French General Practitioner's Association). He enlarged the purpose of cultural gardens and promoted reforestation,. Imperial Guard Field-officer during the 1870-71 War, he was among the Metz besieged; there, he contrived a gadget: small hydrogen balloons carrying letters - a king of "air mail"! After retiring, he founded with Ferau and Papillion the Lille Free Medical University. Then he ended his life at Villefranche sur Mer, devoted to botany and natural sciences; he published "Les Fables de La Fontaine" meant for young people.

[Obligation to report occupational diseases. Importance of external post-mortem examinations before cremation].

PubMed

Verhoff, M A; Risse, M; Alles, J-U; Müller, K-M; Stachetzki, U

2004-05-01

The practical use of the legally required documentation of occupational diseases is demonstrated by a case of asbestos-related pleural mesothelioma. During the mandatory inquest before cremation, information of manifest pleural mesothelioma had been relayed to the widow of the patient, and an investigation for a possible occupational disease was performed. Reconstruction of the case showed that in the course of 3 months at least 13 physicians had been involved in in-hospital as well as ambulatory therapeutic measures. Until death, none of them informed the trade association about a suspected occupational disease in accordance with BK 4105 of the codex of occupational diseases, although the diagnosis of manifest pleural mesothelioma had been histologically confirmed already 10 weeks prior to the death of the patient. This case demonstrates obvious and evident deficiencies in applying the Code of Social Law VII, which requires physicians to report occupational diseases. In addition, it shows the importance of the post-mortem examination as a control function before cremation.

Assessment risk to children's health due to consumption of cow's milk in polluted areas in Puebla and Tlaxcala, Mexico.

PubMed

Castro Gonzalez, Numa Pompilio; Moreno-Rojas, Rafael; Calderón Sánchez, Francisco; Moreno Ortega, Alicia; Juarez Meneses, Mayté

2017-09-01

This study aimed to determine the heavy metal content in cow's milk produced in areas irrigated with waste water and to evaluate the health risk with daily consumption of milk for children. The sample consisted of four zones in which small farmers were selected and the milk of 160 cows in two seasons of the year. On average, the metals in the milk in decreasing order were 0.36; 0.046; 0.035; 0.029; 0.015; 0.012, and 0.002 mg kg -1 for Zn, Pb, As, Cu, Cr, Ni, and Cd, respectively. The Pb exceeded the limits allowed by Codex. The values shown in the hazard quotient for the As of more than 1 and HI were higher. On the other hand, the individual risk of cancer showed a descending order As> Cd> Cr> Pb, while the total risk indicated that the combined effect of metals put girls and boys at serious risk.

Monosodium glutamate in chicken and beef stock cubes using high-performance liquid chromatography.

PubMed

Demirhan, Buket Er; Demirhan, Burak; Sönmez, Ceren; Torul, Hilal; Tamer, Uğur; Yentür, Gülderen

2015-01-01

In this survey monosodium glutamate (MSG) levels in chicken and beef stock cube samples were determined. A total number of 122 stock cube samples (from brands A, B, C, D) were collected from local markets in Ankara, Turkey. High-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection (HPLC-DAD) was used for quantitative MSG determination. Mean MSG levels (±SE) in samples of A, B, C and D brands were 14.6 ± 0.2 g kg⁻¹, 11.9 ± 0.3 g kg⁻¹, 9.7 ± 0.1 g kg⁻¹ and 7.2 ± 0.1 g kg⁻¹, respectively. Differences between mean levels of brands were significant. Also, mean levels of chicken stock cube samples were lower than in beef stock cubes. Maximum limits for MSG in stock cubes are not specified in the Turkish Food Codex (TFC). Generally the limit for MSG in foods (except some foods) is established as 10 g kg⁻¹ (individually or in combination).

New insights in the chemical composition of benzoin balsams.

PubMed

Burger, Pauline; Casale, Alexandre; Kerdudo, Audrey; Michel, Thomas; Laville, Rémi; Chagnaud, Francis; Fernandez, Xavier

2016-11-01

Benzoin balsam is an anthropic exudate obtained from the bark of several species of Styrax trees that is mainly used as a perfume fixative as well as a flavouring agent. Benzoe tonkinensis Laos (also commercialized under the denomination Siam benzoin balsam) displaying characteristic vanilla notes and already being largely used to flavour all kinds of edible goods, was intended to be proposed by Agroforex Company to the Codex Committee on Food Additives for evaluation as a food additive. For this purpose, the present paper reports the phytochemical characterisation of both the volatile and non-volatile fractions of benzoin balsams and the quantitation of some of the major components by gas and liquid chromatography techniques. Four coniferyl and two morinol derivatives were characterised for the first time in Benzoe tonkinensis Laos. Finally, two liquid chromatographic methods used to easily discriminate Siam from Sumatra balsam (also known as Benzoe sumatranus Indonesia) were developed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Structural similarity and distribution of small cryptic plasmids of Lactobacillus curvatus and L. sake.

PubMed

Vogel, R F; Lohmann, M; Weller, A N; Hugas, M; Hammes, W P

1991-11-15

Plasmid profiles of strains of Lactobacillus curvatus and L. sake isolated from meat or sauerkraut were analysed to investigate plasmid homology and distribution in relation to the ecology of these organisms in fermenting foods. A hybridisation probe was constructed by cloning of pLc2, a cryptic, 2.6-kbp plasmid from L. curvatus LTH683, into the Escherichia coli plasmid pRV50. In Southern hybridisations with the digoxygenine labeled pLc2 probe, pLc2-related small plasmids were frequently detected in meat-borne strains of L. casei subsp. pseudoplantarum, L. curvatus, L. sake, L. alimentarius, L. farciminis and L. halotolerans and in L. curvatus and L. sake isolated from sauerkraut. Among 27 Lactobacillus type strains originally isolated from habitats other than meat this type of homology was detected only with plasmids of L. buchneri and L. mali. Restriction-enzyme mapping of six small cryptic plasmids from L. curvatus and L. sake revealed strong structural homology but no similarity to previously characterized plasmids of lactobacilli. The presence of a variable region in addition to a conserved one and the occurrence of deletions during cloning of pLc2 suggest that vectors derived from these plasmids are likely to be structurally unstable.

Bacterial population in traditional sourdough evaluated by molecular methods.

PubMed

Randazzo, C L; Heilig, H; Restuccia, C; Giudici, P; Caggia, C

2005-01-01

To study the microbial communities in artisanal sourdoughs, manufactured by traditional procedure in different areas of Sicily, and to evaluate the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) population by classical and culture-independent approaches. Forty-five LAB isolates were identified both by phenotypic and molecular methods. The restriction fragment length polymorphism and 16S ribosomal DNA gene sequencing gave evidence of a variety of species with the dominance of Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis and Lactobacillus pentosus, in all sourdoughs tested. Culture-independent method, such as denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of the V6-V8 regions of the 16S rDNA, was applied for microbial community fingerprint. The DGGE profiles revealed the dominance of L. sanfranciscensis species. In addition, Lactobacillus-specific primers were used to amplify the V1-V3 regions of the 16S rDNA. DGGE profiles flourished the dominance of L. sanfranciscensis and Lactobacillus fermentum in the traditional sourdoughs, and revealed that the closely related species Lactobacillus kimchii and Lactobacillus alimentarius were not discriminated. Lactobacillus-specific PCR-DGGE analysis is a rapid tool for rapid detection of Lactobacillus species in artisanal sourdough. This study reports a characterization of Lactobacillus isolates from artisanal sourdoughs and highlights the value of DGGE approach to detect uncultivable Lactobacillus species.

Nutrition Composition and Single, 14-Day and 13-Week Repeated Oral Dose Toxicity Studies of the Leaves and Stems of Rubus coreanus Miquel.

PubMed

Om, Ae-Son; Song, Yu-Na; Noh, GeonMin; Kim, HaengRan; Choe, JeongSook

2016-01-08

The leaves and stems of the plant Rubus coreanus Miquel (RCMLS) are rich in vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals which have antioxidant, anti-hemolytic, anti-inflammatory, anti-fatigue and anti-cancer effects. However, RCMLS is not included in the Korean Food Standards Codex due to the lack of safety assurance concerning RCMLS. We evaluated single and repeated oral dose toxicity of RCMLS in Sprague-Dawley rats. RCMLS did not induce any significant toxicological changes in both male and female rats at a single doses of 2500 mg/kg/day. Repeated oral dose toxicity studies showed no adverse effects in clinical signs, body weight, food consumption, ophthalmic examination, urinalysis, hematology, serum biochemistry, necropsy findings, organ weight, and histopathology at doses of 625, 1250, and 2500 mg/kg/day. The LD50 and LOAEL of RCMLS might be over 2500 mg/kg body weight/day and no target organs were identified. Therefore, this study revealed that single and repeated oral doses of RCMLS are safe.

Cosmological constraints from X-ray all sky surveys, from CODEX to eROSITA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Finoguenov, A.

2017-10-01

Large area cluster cosmology has long become a multiwavelength discipline. Understanding the effect of various selections is currently the main path to improving on the validity of cluster cosmological results. Many of these results are based on the large area sample derived from RASS data. We perform wavelet detection of X-ray sources and make extensive simulations of the detection of clusters in the RASS data. We assign an optical richness to each of the 25,000 detected X-ray sources in the 10,000 square degrees of SDSS BOSS area. We show that there is no obvious separation of sources on galaxy clusters and AGN, based on distribution of systems on their richness. We conclude that previous catalogs, such as MACS, REFLEX are all subject to a complex optical selection function, in addition to an X-ray selection. We provide a complete model of identification of cluster counts are galaxy clusters, which includes chance identification, effect of AGN halo occupation distribution and the thermal emission of ICM. Finally we present the cosmological results obtained using this sample.

Dissipation dynamic, residue distribution and processing factor of hexythiazox in strawberry fruits under open field condition.

PubMed

Saber, Ayman N; Malhat, Farag M; Badawy, Hany M A; Barakat, Dalia A

2016-04-01

Two independent field trials were performed to investigate the dissipation and residue levels of hexythiazox in strawberry. The study presents a method validation for extraction and quantitative analysis of hexythiazox residues in strawberry using HPLC-DAD. The results shown that the mean recoveries ranged from 85% to 93%, furthermore the intra- and inter-day relative standard deviations were less than 10%. The results suggest that the hexythiazox dissipation curves followed the first-order kinetic and its half-life ranged from 3.43 to 3.81 days. The final residues in strawberry were below the Codex maximum residue limit (MRL) (6 mg/kg) after three days of the application. The effects of household processing and storage on the levels of hexythiazox residues were quantified, and it's useful for reducing the dietary exposure. The processing factor after each stage were generally less than 1, indicating that the whole process can reduce the residues of hexythiazox in strawberry. The results could provide guidance to safe and reasonable use of hexythiazox in agriculture. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The codex of science: honesty, precision, and truth--and its violations.

PubMed

Lüscher, Thomas F

2013-04-01

Science has made enormous achievements for our understanding of the world and for everyday life: we now know that we live on a spherical planet of the solar system, we understand the origin of the species, we can take a train, survive myocardial infarction, and fly to the moon. This has been made possible thanks to a persistent search for truth by great scientists and the scientific community at large. Our assumptions were often wrong, but the scientific process advanced by a productive interplay of conjectures and refutations. As in any profession, there is misconduct, i.e. sloppiness, plagiarism up to falsification, or even fabrication of data. Although eventually fraudulent science has and will be disproved, it is morally inappropriate, damages the reputation of research and journals in which its products are published, may endanger patients, and misuses grant money of federal and private institutions. Thus, as editors and readers, we should be aware of it based on its typical pattern, but we must avoid an atmosphere of distrust, as trust is the essence of scientific exchange and progress.

Analytical investigations on the Coronation Gospels manuscript

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aceto, Maurizio; Agostino, Angelo; Fenoglio, Gaia; Idone, Ambra; Crivello, Fabrizio; Griesser, Martina; Kirchweger, Franz; Uhlir, Katharina; Puyo, Patricia Roger

2017-01-01

The Coronation Gospels or Krönungsevangeliar is a manuscript kept in Vienna at the Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien, datable to the end of VIII century A.D. and produced at Charlemagne court. It is an example of a purple codex, i.e. its parchment is coloured in purple. It has to be considered as one of the most important medieval codices, according to its use to take oath in the coronation ceremony of kings and emperors of the Holy Roman Empire up to 1792. In order to gather information of the manufacture of the manuscript and its present conservation state, a diagnostic investigation campaign has been carried out in situ with totally non-invasive techniques. X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry (XRF), UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectrophotometry with optical fibres (FORS), spectrofluorimetry, optical microscopy and multispectral analysis have been applied in order to identify the colourants used in the decoration of the manuscript, with the main concern to the dye used to impart the purple hue to the parchment. The information collected was useful in order to address some of the questions raised by art historians concerning its history.

Method validation for simultaneous determination of chromium, molybdenum and selenium in infant formulas by ICP-OES and ICP-MS.

PubMed

Khan, Naeem; Jeong, In Seon; Hwang, In Min; Kim, Jae Sung; Choi, Sung Hwa; Nho, Eun Yeong; Choi, Ji Yeon; Kwak, Byung-Man; Ahn, Jang-Hyuk; Yoon, Taehyung; Kim, Kyong Su

2013-12-15

This study aimed to validate the analytical method for simultaneous determination of chromium (Cr), molybdenum (Mo), and selenium (Se) in infant formulas available in South Korea. Various digestion methods of dry-ashing, wet-digestion and microwave were evaluated for samples preparation and both inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) were compared for analysis. The analytical techniques were validated by detection limits, precision, accuracy and recovery experiments. Results showed that wet-digestion and microwave methods were giving satisfactory results for sample preparation, while ICP-MS was found more sensitive and effective technique than ICP-OES. The recovery (%) of Se, Mo and Cr by ICP-OES were 40.9, 109.4 and 0, compared to 99.1, 98.7 and 98.4, respectively by ICP-MS. The contents of Cr, Mo and Se in infant formulas by ICP-MS were found in good nutritional values in accordance to nutrient standards for infant formulas CODEX values. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Representations of Lancet or Phlebotome in Serbian Medieval Art.

PubMed

Pajić, Sanja; Jurišić, Vladimir

2015-01-01

The topic of this study are representations of lancet or phlebotome in frescoes and icons of Serbian medieval art. The very presence of this medical instrument in Serbian medieval art indicates its usage in Serbian medical practices of the time. Phlebotomy is one of the oldest forms of therapy, widely spread in medieval times. It is also mentioned in Serbian medical texts, such as Chilandar Medical CodexNo. 517 and Hodoch code, i.e. translations from Latin texts originating from Salerno-Montpellier school. Lancet or phlebotome is identified based on archaeological finds from the Roman period, while finds from the Middle Ages and especially from Byzantium have been scarce. Analyses of preserved frescoes and icons has shown that, in comparison to other medical instruments, lancet is indeed predominant in Serbian medieval art, and that it makes for over 80% of all the representations, while other instruments have been depicted to a far lesser degree. Examination of written records and art points to the conclusion that Serbian medieval medicine, both in theory and in practice, belonged entirely to European traditions of the period.

Post-depositional behaviour of mercury and arsenic in submarine mine tailings deposited in Buyat Bay, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

PubMed

Shepherd, Thomas; Rumengan, Inneke; Sahami, Ali

2018-06-01

The post-depositional geochemical behaviour of mercury and arsenic in submarine mine tailings from the Mesel Gold Mine in Buyat Bay, North Sulawesi, Indonesia was assessed by in situ sampling of tailings porewaters using dialysis arrays and seawater and fish monitoring. Under steady-state conditions one year after cessation of tailings discharge, the calculated arsenic efflux incrementally added 0.8 μg/L of arsenic to the overlying seawater. The mercury efflux across the tailings-seawater interface was negligible. The arsenic and mercury concentration in seawater bottom samples monitored biannually during a 9-year post-closure program were 1.54 μg/L and <0.05 μg/L, respectively. Analysis of 650 fish tissue samples, from the post-closure monitoring had mean mercury and arsenic concentrations consistently below the FAO/WHO CODEX, and Australian and New Zealand National Food Standards, respectively. The results of the porewater, seawater and fish tissue demonstrate that the arsenic and mercury-bearing bearing compounds in the tailings are geochemically stable. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Multispectral image restoration of historical documents based on LAAMs and mathematical morphology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lechuga-S., Edwin; Valdiviezo-N., Juan C.; Urcid, Gonzalo

2014-09-01

This research introduces an automatic technique designed for the digital restoration of the damaged parts in historical documents. For this purpose an imaging spectrometer is used to acquire a set of images in the wavelength interval from 400 to 1000 nm. Assuming the presence of linearly mixed spectral pixels registered from the multispectral image, our technique uses two lattice autoassociative memories to extract the set of pure pigments conforming a given document. Through an spectral unmixing analysis, our method produces fractional abundance maps indicating the distributions of each pigment in the scene. These maps are then used to locate cracks and holes in the document under study. The restoration process is performed by the application of a region filling algorithm, based on morphological dilation, followed by a color interpolation to restore the original appearance of the filled areas. This procedure has been successfully applied to the analysis and restoration of three multispectral data sets: two corresponding to artificially superimposed scripts and a real data acquired from a Mexican pre-Hispanic codex, whose restoration results are presented.

Food Production and Processing Considerations of Allergenic Food Ingredients: A Review

PubMed Central

Alvarez, Pedro A.; Boye, Joyce I.

2012-01-01

Although most consumers show no adverse symptoms to food allergens, health consequences for sensitized individuals can be very serious. As a result, the Codex General Standard for the Labelling of Prepackaged Foods has specified a series of allergenic ingredients/substances requiring mandatory declaration when present in processed prepackaged food products. Countries adhering to international standards are required to observe this minimum of eight substances, but additional priority allergens are included in the list in some countries. Enforcement agencies have traditionally focused their effort on surveillance of prepackaged goods, but there is a growing need to apply a bottom-up approach to allergen risk management in food manufacturing starting from primary food processing operations in order to minimize the possibility of allergen contamination in finished products. The present paper aims to review food production considerations that impact allergen risk management, and it is directed mainly to food manufacturers and policy makers. Furthermore, a series of food ingredients and the allergenic fractions identified from them, as well as the current methodology used for detection of these allergenic foods, is provided. PMID:22187573

Food irradiation: regulatory aspects in the Asia and Pacific region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luckman, Gary James

2002-03-01

Irradiation treatment of food is becoming an increasingly accepted processing option for countries in the Asia Pacific region wishing to meet growing sanitary and phytosanitary requirements in international trade. There remain however, large differences between the regulatory requirements in the countries in this region. This paper gives an outline on existing food irradiation regulations in the separate countries of the Asia Pacific region. New developments such as the recent decision by the Australia New Zealand Food Authority to start assessing applications for food irradiation treatment are discussed. Australia's intention to regulate the export of food treated by irradiation will also be outlined. Details of the decision to harmonise food irradiation regulations by 13 countries in the Asia Pacific region based on conformance with Codex requirements is outlined. The likelihood of other Asia Pacific countries enacting similar harmonisation of their regulations will be examined. Future development such as certification of irradiation as a sanitary treatment for food are discussed. The expected result of these initiatives is a likely increase in irradiated foods traded within the Asia Pacific region.

Detection of l-Cysteine in wheat flour by Raman microspectroscopy combined chemometrics of HCA and PCA.

PubMed

Cebi, Nur; Dogan, Canan Ekinci; Develioglu, Ayşen; Yayla, Mediha Esra Altuntop; Sagdic, Osman

2017-08-01

l-Cysteine is deliberately added to various flour types since l-Cysteine has enabled favorable baking conditions such as low viscosity, increased elasticity and rise during baking. In Turkey, usage of l-Cysteine as a food additive isn't allowed in wheat flour according to the Turkish Food Codex Regulation on food additives. There is an urgent need for effective methods to detect l-Cysteine in wheat flour. In this study, for the first time, a new, rapid, effective, non-destructive and cost-effective method was developed for detection of l-Cysteine in wheat flour using Raman microscopy. Detection of l-Cysteine in wheat flour was accomplished successfully using Raman microscopy combined chemometrics of PCA (Principal Component Analysis) and HCA (Hierarchical Cluster Analysis). In this work, 500-2000cm -1 spectral range (fingerprint region) was determined to perform PCA and HCA analysis. l-Cysteine and l-Cystine were determined with detection limit of 0.125% (w/w) in different wheat flour samples. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The da Vinci robot.

PubMed

Moran, Michael E

2006-12-01

One might assume from the title of this paper that the nuances of a complex mechanical robot will be discussed, and this would be correct. On the other hand, the date of the design and possible construction of this robot was 1495, a little more than five centuries ago. The key point in the title is the lack of a trademarked name, as Leonardo was the designer of this sophisticated system. His notes from the Codex Altanticus represent the foundation of this report. English translations of da Vinci's notebooks are currently available. Beginning in the 1950s, investigators at the University of California began to ponder the significance of some of da Vinci's markings on what appeared to be technical drawings. Such markings also occur in his Codex Atlanticus (the largest single collection of da Vinci's sheets, consisting of 1119 separate pages and 481 folios) along with a large number of other mechanical devices. Continuing research at the Instituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza in Florence has yielded a great deal of information about Leonardo's intentions with regard to his mechanical knight. It is now known that da Vinci's robot would have had the outer appearance of a Germanic knight. It had a complex core of mechanical devices that probably was human powered. The robot had two independent operating systems. The first had three degree-of-freedom legs, ankles, knees, and hips. The second had four degrees of freedom in the arms with articulated shoulders, elbows, wrists, and hands. A mechanical analog-programmable controller within the chest provided the power and control for the arms. The legs were powered by an external crank arrangement driving the cable, which connected to key locations near each lower extremity's joints. Da Vinci also is known to have devised a programmable front-wheel-drive automobile with rack-and-pinion suspension mechanisms at age 26. He would recall this device again, when, at age 40, he is thought to have built a programmable automated lion, but by then, he had produced his own metal springs as well as drum-containing springs called tambours. He positioned his fusee to a stationary rotating power output shaft that would be used to power his programmable automaton. Part of the obscurity of da Vinci's robot comes from the difficulties interpreting Leonardo's markings. His designs precede any formal method of blueprint designing. The technical aspects had to be deciphered before anyone could even attempt to reproduce his intended device. This robotic device fits together with other pieces of evidence that link 15(th) Century automatons to da Vinci's design, namely the automated Tea Servers from Spain. As with many things from da Vinci, looking backward at this master leaves one with a pronounced sense of awe at his prescient view of the world.

Production of Succinic Acid from Citric Acid and Related Acids by Lactobacillus Strains

PubMed Central

Kaneuchi, Choji; Seki, Masako; Komagata, Kazuo

1988-01-01

A number of Lactobacillus strains produced succinic acid in de Man-Rogosa-Sharpe broth to various extents. Among 86 fresh isolates from fermented cane molasses in Thailand, 30 strains (35%) produced succinic acid; namely, 23 of 39 Lactobacillus reuteri strains, 6 of 18 L. cellobiosus strains, and 1 of 6 unidentified strains. All of 10 L. casei subsp. casei strains, 5 L. casei subsp. rhamnosus strains, 6 L. mali strains, and 2 L. buchneri strains did not produce succinic acid. Among 58 known strains including 48 type strains of different Lactobacillus species, the strains of L. acidophilus, L. crispatus, L. jensenii, and L. parvus produced succinic acid to the same extent as the most active fresh isolates, and those of L. alimentarius, L. collinoides, L. farciminis, L. fructivorans (1 of 2 strains tested), L. malefermentans, and L. reuteri were also positive, to lesser extents. Diammonium citrate in de Man-Rogosa-Sharpe broth was determined as a precursor of the succinic acid produced. Production rates were about 70% on a molar basis with two fresh strains tested. Succinic acid was also produced from fumaric and malic acids but not from dl-isocitric, α-ketoglutaric, and pyruvic acids. The present study is considered to provide the first evidence on the production of succinic acid, an important flavoring substance in dairy products and fermented beverages, from citrate by lactobacilli. PMID:16347795

Dominant lactic acid bacteria and their technological properties isolated from the Himalayan ethnic fermented milk products.

PubMed

Dewan, Sailendra; Tamang, Jyoti Prakash

2007-10-01

Ethnic people of the Himalayan regions of India, Nepal, Bhutan and China consume a variety of indigenous fermented milk products made from cows milk as well as yaks milk. These lesser-known ethnic fermented foods are dahi, mohi, chhurpi, somar, philu and shyow. The population of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) ranged from 10(7) to 10(8) cfu/g in these Himalayan milk products. A total of 128 isolates of LAB were isolated from 58 samples of ethnic fermented milk products collected from different places of India, Nepal and Bhutan. Based on phenotypic characterization including API sugar test, the dominant lactic acid bacteria were identified as Lactobacillus bifermentans, Lactobacillus paracasei subsp. pseudoplantarum, Lactobacillus kefir, Lactobacillus hilgardii, Lactobacillus alimentarius, Lactobacillus paracasei subsp. paracasei, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis, Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris and Enterococcus faecium. LAB produced a wide spectrum of enzymes and showed high galactosidase, leucine-arylamidase and phosphatase activities. They showed antagonistic properties against selected Gram-negative bacteria. None of the strains produced bacteriocin and biogenic amines under the test conditions used. Most strains of LAB coagulated skim milk with a moderate drop in pH. Some strains of LAB showed a high degree of hydrophobicity, suggesting these strains may have useful adhesive potential. This paper is the first report on functional lactic acid bacterial composition in some lesser-known ethnic fermented milk products of the Himalayas.

Production of succinic Acid from citric Acid and related acids by lactobacillus strains.

PubMed

Kaneuchi, C; Seki, M; Komagata, K

1988-12-01

A number of Lactobacillus strains produced succinic acid in de Man-Rogosa-Sharpe broth to various extents. Among 86 fresh isolates from fermented cane molasses in Thailand, 30 strains (35%) produced succinic acid; namely, 23 of 39 Lactobacillus reuteri strains, 6 of 18 L. cellobiosus strains, and 1 of 6 unidentified strains. All of 10 L. casei subsp. casei strains, 5 L. casei subsp. rhamnosus strains, 6 L. mali strains, and 2 L. buchneri strains did not produce succinic acid. Among 58 known strains including 48 type strains of different Lactobacillus species, the strains of L. acidophilus, L. crispatus, L. jensenii, and L. parvus produced succinic acid to the same extent as the most active fresh isolates, and those of L. alimentarius, L. collinoides, L. farciminis, L. fructivorans (1 of 2 strains tested), L. malefermentans, and L. reuteri were also positive, to lesser extents. Diammonium citrate in de Man-Rogosa-Sharpe broth was determined as a precursor of the succinic acid produced. Production rates were about 70% on a molar basis with two fresh strains tested. Succinic acid was also produced from fumaric and malic acids but not from dl-isocitric, alpha-ketoglutaric, and pyruvic acids. The present study is considered to provide the first evidence on the production of succinic acid, an important flavoring substance in dairy products and fermented beverages, from citrate by lactobacilli.

Domibacillus robiginosus gen. nov., sp. nov., isolated from a pharmaceutical clean room.

PubMed

Seiler, Herbert; Wenning, Mareike; Scherer, Siegfried

2013-06-01

A novel red-pigmented bacterial strain, designated WS 4628(T), was isolated from a pharmaceutical clean room of a vaccine-producing company and was investigated in a taxonomic study using a polyphasic approach. The strain was Gram-stain-positive, strictly aerobic, motile, catalase-positive and produced spherical to slightly ellipsoidal endospores in rods. The genomic DNA G+C content was 44.1 mol%. The major fatty acids were anteiso-C15:0, iso-C15:0 and anteiso-C17:0 and the predominant quinone was MK-6. The polar lipids consisted of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, an unidentified phosphoglycolipid and an unidentified phospholipid. meso-diaminopimelic acid (type A1γ) was present in the cell-wall peptidoglycan and the major whole-cell sugars were glucose and ribose. The closest phylogenetic neighbours were identified as Bacillus badius ATCC 14574(T) (95.8% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity), Bacillus indicus Sd/3(T) (94.8%), Jeotgalibacillus alimentarius YKJ-13(T) (94.8%) and Bacillus cibi JG-30(T) (94.8%). Phylogenetic, physiological, biochemical and morphological differences between strain WS 4628(T) and its closest relatives in the families Bacillaceae and Planococcaceae suggest that this strain represents a novel species in a new genus in the family Bacillaceae for which the name Domibacillus robiginosus gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed; the type strain of the type species is WS 4628(T) (=DSM 25058(T)=LMG 26645(T)).

Arsenic and mercury concentrations in marine fish sourced from local fishermen and fish markets in mine-impacted communities in Ratatotok Sub-district, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

PubMed

Bentley, Keith; Soebandrio, Amin

2017-07-15

Mesel gold mine, Ratatotok Sub-district, North Sulawesi, Indonesia deposited about 4.5millionm 3 of detoxified tailings containing arsenic (As) and mercury (Hg) via a submarine pipeline into Buyat Bay. As and Hg analysis of 216 fish muscle tissue composites from subsistence fishermen, local markets and a reference market confirmed that mean As levels were comparable between locations (range 1.71 to 2.12mg/kg wet weight (ww)) and <10% of the Australia New Zealand standard. Mean Hg concentrations were highest for the artisanal fishermen group (0.23mg/kg ww), similar between the local markets (0.11-0.14mg/kg ww) and lower at the reference market (0.04mg/kg ww). A 12-month fish availability study identified that the results were due to the different coral and deep ocean species assemblages. All mean values were <50% of the FAO/WHO/Codex standard for Hg. The results confirmed that there was no contamination from the deposited submarine tailings. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Organochlorine and organophosphorus pesticide residues in fodder and milk samples along Musi river belt, India.

PubMed

Kotinagu, Korrapati; Krishnaiah, Nelapati

2015-04-01

The present study was conducted to find the organochlorine pesticide (OCP) and organophosphorus pesticide (OPP) residues in fodder and milk samples along Musi river belt, India. Fodder and milk samples collected from the six zones of Musi river belt, Hyderabad India were analyzed by gas chromatography with electron capture detector for OCP residues and pulsated flame photometric detector for the presence of OPP residues. The gas chromatographic analysis of fodder samples of Zone 5 of Musi river showed the residues of dicofol at concentration of 0.07±0.0007 (0.071-0.077). Among organophosphorus compounds, dimetheoate was present in milk samples collected from Zone 6 at a level of 0.13±0.006 (0.111-0.167). The residues of OCPs, OPPs and cyclodies were below the detection limit in the remaining fodder and milk samples collected from Musi river belt in the present study. The results indicate that the pesticide residues in fodder and milk samples were well below the maximum residue level (MRL) values, whereas dicofol in fodder and dimethoate in milk were slightly above the MRL values specified by EU and CODEX.

Modeling of Red Giant and AGB Stars Atmospheres: Constraints from VLTI and HST Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rau, Gioia

2018-04-01

The chemical enrichment of the Universe is considerably affected by the contributions of low-to-intermediate mass stars through the mass-loss provided via their stellar winds. First, we will present our investigation in the near-IR with VLTI/GRAVITY (Wittkowski, Rau, et al., in prep.). Our aim was to verify at different epochs the model-predicted variability of the visibility spectra. We use CODEX model atmospheres, as well as best-fit 3D radiation hydrodynamic simulations (e.g. Freytag et al., 2017), for comparison with the observations. Our preliminary results on R Peg suggest a decreasing contribution by extended CO layers as the star transitions from maximum to minimum phase. Second, we will show a preliminary modeling of UV spectra obtained with HST/GHRS that contain chromospheric emission lines of, e.g., Mg II and Fe II. Via Sobolev with Exact Integration (SEI) modeling, we determined for the two M-giant stars γ Cru and µ Gem the characteristics of their winds (turbulence, acceleration, and opacity), and their average global mass-loss rates (Rau, Carpenter et al., in prep.). Finally, we briefly discuss the impact of instruments on board JWST in progressing this investigation.

Receiver Function Imaging of Crustal and Lithospheric Structure Beneath the Jalisco Block and Western Michoacan, Mexico.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reyes Alfaro, G.; Cruz-Atienza, V. M.; Perez-Campos, X.; Reyes Dávila, G. A.

2014-12-01

We used a receiver function technique for imaging western Mexico, a unique area with several active seismic and volcanic zones like the triple junction of Rivera, Cocos and North American plates and the Colima volcano complex (CVC), the most active in Mexico. Clear images of the distribution of the crust and the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary are obtained using P-to-S receiver functions (RF) from around ~80 broadband stations recorded by the Mapping the Rivera Subduction Zone (MARS), the Colima Volcano Deep Seismic Experiment (CODEX) and a local network (RESCO) that allowed us to considerably increase the teleseismic database used in the project. For imaging, we constructed several 2-D profiles of depth transformed RFs to delineate the seismic discontinuities of the region. Low seismic velocities associated with the Michoacan-Guanajuato and the Mascota-Ayutla-Tapalpa volcanic fields are also observed. Most impressive, a large and well delineated magma body 100 km underneath CVC is recognized along a surely related depression of the moho discontinuity just above it. We bring more tools for a better understanding of the deep processes that ultimately control eruptive behavior in the region.

Organochlorine and organophosphorus pesticide residues in fodder and milk samples along Musi river belt, India

PubMed Central

Kotinagu, Korrapati; Krishnaiah, Nelapati

2015-01-01

Aim: The present study was conducted to find the organochlorine pesticide (OCP) and organophosphorus pesticide (OPP) residues in fodder and milk samples along Musi river belt, India. Materials and Methods: Fodder and milk samples collected from the six zones of Musi river belt, Hyderabad India were analyzed by gas chromatography with electron capture detector for OCP residues and pulsated flame photometric detector for the presence of OPP residues. Results: The gas chromatographic analysis of fodder samples of Zone 5 of Musi river showed the residues of dicofol at concentration of 0.07±0.0007 (0.071-0.077). Among organophosphorus compounds, dimetheoate was present in milk samples collected from Zone 6 at a level of 0.13±0.006 (0.111-0.167). The residues of OCPs, OPPs and cyclodies were below the detection limit in the remaining fodder and milk samples collected from Musi river belt in the present study. Conclusion: The results indicate that the pesticide residues in fodder and milk samples were well below the maximum residue level (MRL) values, whereas dicofol in fodder and dimethoate in milk were slightly above the MRL values specified by EU and CODEX. PMID:27047132

Comparative study of microbiological, chemical and sensory properties of kefirs produced in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

PubMed

Anton, Dea; Raudsepp, Piret; Roasto, Mati; Meremäe, Kadrin; Kuusik, Sirje; Toomik, Peeter; Elias, Priit; Laikoja, Katrin; Kaart, Tanel; Lepiku, Martin; Püssa, Tõnu

2016-02-01

In the current study the microbiological, sensory and chemical properties of 24 kefirs (12 producers) from Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian retail market were determined using gas chromatography (GC), high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC-MS/MS-Q-TOF and LC-ion trap MS/MS), spectrophotometry and other methods. Antihypertensive, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibiting, antioxidant and antibacterial peptides were found in the kefir samples. According to the results of principal component analysis of 200 most abundant compounds obtained with HPLC-MS/MS-Q-TOF analysis, Estonian kefirs differed from the rest. Kefirs of Latvian and Lithuanian origin showed similarities in several characteristics, probably related to the starter cultures and technological processes. The fatty acids composition of all Baltic kefirs was uniform. The antioxidant capacity of the kefirs varied slightly, whereas intermediate positive correlation (r = 0.32, P < 0.05) was found between antioxidativity and total bacterial count. The lipid oxidation level, estimated as the content of linoleic and oleic acid primary oxidation products, oxylipins, was very low in all studied kefirs. Only one third of analysed kefirs met the requirements of the minimum sum of viable microorganisms, indicated in the Codex Standard for Fermented Milks.

Source of a micro-nutrient in a semi-synthetic basal diet as a causative factor in inducing urinary calculi in rats and its inhibition by PSC 833, a potent inhibitor of P-glycoprotein.

PubMed

Kankesan, Janarthanan; Vanama, Ramesh; Renlund, Richard; Thiessen, Jake J; Ling, Victor; Rao, Prema M; Rajalakshmi, Srinivasan; Sarma, Dittakavi S R

2003-08-01

We report a serendipitous finding of urinary calculi in rats fed a semi-synthetic basal diet. This observation was made during ongoing studies to evaluate the inhibitory effect of PSC 833, a potent inhibitor of P-glycoprotein, on development of tumors in rodent tumor model systems. A large number of specific-pathogen-free (SPF) female Sprague-Dawley and SPF male Fischer 344 rats being fed the diet were euthanized when it became evident clinically that they were uremic. At necropsy, the renal pelvis, ureters, and urinary bladder contained numerous calculi. The presence of urinary calculi was determined to be related to the source of a Food Chemical Codex grade of choline bitartrate. Rats being fed the same basal diet containing the United States Pharmacopia grade of choline bitartrate failed to develop urinary calculi. Interestingly, rats treated with the P-glycoprotein inhibitor were at significantly reduced risk of developing urinary calculi. This finding highlights how something seemingly innocuous as a minor dietary constituent can have a profound impact and, thereby, affect experimental outcome.

Heavy metals in vegetables sold in the local market in Jordan.

PubMed

Osaili, Tareq M; Al Jamali, Abbas F; Makhadmeh, Ibrahim M; Taha, Mohammad; Jarrar, Sukiena K

2016-09-01

Heavy metals (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn) in various vegetables (cabbage, green onion, lettuce, parsley, rocket, spinach, carrot, onion, potato and cauliflower) from the market in Jordan were measured using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn ranged from 0.009-0.275 mg kg(-1) wet weight, 0.004-0.060 mg kg(-1), 0.003-0.401 mg kg(-1), 0.105-3.51 mg kg(-1), 0.15-1.15 mg kg(-1), 0.93-14.39 mg kg(-1), 0.044-0.702 mg kg(-1), 0.072-0.289 mg kg(-1) and 2.23-6.65 mg kg(-1), respectively. Parsley, followed by spinach, contained the highest concentration of heavy metals. Onion contained high levels of toxic heavy metals. The content of Cu in parsley and spinach and Pb in onion exceeded the Codex limits. However, the daily intake of heavy metals from the tested vegetables was lower than the maximum limits for allowable intake.

The gluten-free diet and its current application in coeliac disease and dermatitis herpetiformis

PubMed Central

Ciclitira, Paul; Hadjivassiliou, Marios; Kaukinen, Katri; Ludvigsson, Jonas F; McGough, Norma; Sanders, David S; Woodward, Jeremy; Leonard, Jonathan N; Swift, Gillian L

2015-01-01

Background A gluten-free diet (GFD) is currently the only available therapy for coeliac disease (CD). Objectives We aim to review the literature on the GFD, the gluten content in naturally gluten-free (GF) and commercially available GF food, standards and legislation concerning the gluten content of foods, and the vitamins and mineral content of a GFD. Methods We carried out a PubMed search for the following terms: Gluten, GFD and food, education, vitamins, minerals, calcium, Codex wheat starch and oats. Relevant papers were reviewed and for each topic a consensus among the authors was obtained. Conclusion Patients with CD should avoid gluten and maintain a balanced diet to ensure an adequate intake of nutrients, vitamins, fibre and calcium. A GFD improves symptoms in most patients with CD. The practicalities of this however, are difficult, as (i) many processed foods are contaminated with gluten, (ii) staple GF foods are not widely available, and (iii) the GF substitutes are often expensive. Furthermore, (iv) the restrictions of the diet may adversely affect social interactions and quality of life. The inclusion of oats and wheat starch in the diet remains controversial. PMID:25922672

"Cooking the sample": radiofrequency induced heating during solid-state NMR experiments.

PubMed

d'Espinose de Lacaillerie, Jean-Baptiste; Jarry, Benjamin; Pascui, Ovidiu; Reichert, Detlef

2005-09-01

Dissipation of radiofrequency (RF) energy as heat during continuous wave decoupling in solid-state NMR experiment was examined outside the conventional realm of such phenomena. A significant temperature increase could occur while performing dynamic NMR measurements provided the sample contains polar molecules and the sequence calls for relatively long applications of RF power. It was shown that the methyl flip motion in dimethylsulfone (DMS) is activated by the decoupling RF energy conversion to heat during a CODEX pulse sequence. This introduced a significant bias in the correlation time-temperature dependency measurement used to obtain the activation energy of the motion. By investigating the dependency of the temperature increase in hydrated lead nitrate on experimental parameters during high-power decoupling one-pulse experiments, the mechanisms for the RF energy deposition was identified. The samples were heated due to dissipation of the energy absorbed by dielectric losses, a phenomenon commonly known as "microwave" heating. It was thus established that during solid-state NMR experiments at moderate B0 fields, RF heating could lead to the heating of samples containing polar molecules such as hydrated polymers and inorganic solids. In particular, this could result in systematic errors for slow dynamics measurements by solid-state NMR.

"De medicina et morbis" from De rerum naturis by Rabano Mauro.

PubMed

Iorio, Luigi; Mantella, Daniela; Iorio, Brunella

2009-01-01

De rerum naturis from the Monastery of Montecassino (MS codex 132) by Rabano Mauro, is a medieval encyclopedia issued around the year 1025, in the Abbey of Montecassino, during the period of Abbot Teobaldo. It is a copy of a more ancient text, written almost certainly in the Abbey of Fulda 2 centuries before, when Rabano Mauro was the abbot - that is, in the Carolingian age. In the Book 18 there is a chapter entitled "De medicina et morbis," in which we find related the fundamental principles on which studies of the human body, illness and the principal medicinal herbs were based. The text is not intended for teaching the medical art, but has the precise objective of helping to form the cultured Christian, trying to combine the old Greek-Roman tradition with a mystical vision, giving a moral application according to the dictates of Jewish-Christian religion. This text is indicative of the fusion of the scientific and religious worlds in the West during the Middle Ages. This interpretation of the universe will last for about a millennium, and only the Renaissance will be able to separate the 2 worlds again.

June 2006 seismic swarm and dike injection event beneath the Michoacan-Guanajuato volcanic field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cox, T. F.; Gardine, M.; West, M.

2008-12-01

A seismic swarm of approximately 700 events, magnitude 2.5-3.5, occurred in June of 2006 approximately 15 km from the summit of the cinder cone Paricutin, in the Michoacan-Guanajuato Volcanic Field in central Mexico. The swarm was detected and located as part of an effort to develop a catalog of regional seismicity using stations fortuitously in place as part of two concurrent IRIS/PASSCAL supported projects- the Mapping of the Rivera Subduction Zone (MARS) project run by the University of Texas at Austin and New Mexico State University, and the Colima Volcano Deep Seismic Experiment (CODEX), run by the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Over a two-week period in June 2006, relocated hypocenters clearly show a shallowing trend with time, indicative of a possible dike injection event. The rate of injection appears to be 346 m/day. Following the injection, there is a period of earthquakes, which all occurred at approximately 5 km in depth, but which migrated southwards. The waveforms of all of these events show similarities within three major groupings: from May 28 to June 1, June 2 to June 9 (which marks the end of the ascent), and from June 9 to July 2.

Presence of Pathogenic Rickettsiae and Protozoan in Samples of Raw Milk from Cows, Goats, and Sheep.

PubMed

Cisak, Ewa; Zając, Violetta; Sroka, Jacek; Sawczyn, Anna; Kloc, Anna; Dutkiewicz, Jacek; Wójcik-Fatla, Angelina

2017-04-01

The aim of the present work was to determine the presence of various rickettsiae and protozoan in raw milk and the assessment the potential, milk-borne route in the spread of selected zoonotic pathogens. A total of 119 raw milk samples collected randomly from 63 cows, 29 goats, and 27 sheep bred on 34 farms situated on eight communities in eastern Poland were examined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method for the presence of pathogenic rickettsiae (Coxiella burnetii, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Rickettsia spp.) and protozoan (Toxoplasma gondii). The only prevalent pathogen was T. gondii, which was found in 10 samples of cow milk (15.9%), in one sample of goat milk (3.4%), and in one sample of sheep milk (3.7%). One sample of cow milk was positive for C. burnetii; however, the sequence analysis did not confirm any species of Coxiella or Coxiella-like organisms, but showed 100% homology to Psychrobacter alimentarius. None of the examined samples showed the presence of A. phagocytophilum or Rickettsia spp. The results of this study suggest a potential hazard of milk-borne Toxoplasma infection, mostly by consumption of raw cow milk. The milk-borne spread seems to be limited or nonsignificant in the case of C. burnetii, A. phagocytophilum, and Rickettsia spp. The false-positive sample for Coxiella spp. suggests that some care should be taken in the interpretation of the results obtained by using the PCR method.

Fermentation and microflora of plaa-som, a thai fermented fish product prepared with different salt concentrations.

PubMed

Paludan-Müller, Christine; Madsen, Mette; Sophanodora, Pairat; Gram, Lone; Møller, Peter Lange

2002-02-25

Plaa-som is a Thai fermented fish product prepared from snakehead fish, salt, palm syrup and sometimes roasted rice. We studied the effects of different salt concentrations on decrease in pH and on microflora composition during fermentation. Two low-salt batches were prepared, containing 6% and 7% salt (w/w) as well as two high-salt batches, containing 9% and 11% salt. pH decreased rapidly from 6 to 4.5 in low-salt batches, whereas in high-salt batches, a slow or no decrease in pH was found. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and yeasts were isolated as the dominant microorganisms during fermentation. LAB counts increased to 10(8)-10(9) cfu g(-1) and yeast counts to 10(7)-5 x 10(7) cfu g(-1) in all batches, except in the 11% salt batch, where counts were 1-2 log lower. Phenotypic tests, ITS-PCR, carbohydrate fermentations and 16S rRNA gene sequencing identified LAB isolates as Pediococcus pentosaceus, Lactobacillus alimentarius/farciminis, Weisella confusa, L. plantarum and Lactococcus garviae. The latter species was only isolated from high-salt batches. Phenotypic characteristics, ITS-PCR and carbohydrate assimilation identified 95% of the yeasts as Zygosaccharomyces rouxii. It is concluded that the fermentation of plaa-som is delayed by a salt-level of 9% due to an inhibition of LAB growth. The growth of Z. rouxii has no influence on the fermentation rate, but may contribute positively to the flavour development of the product.

Developing clinical practice guidelines: target audiences, identifying topics for guidelines, guideline group composition and functioning and conflicts of interest

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Clinical practice guidelines are one of the foundations of efforts to improve health care. In 1999, we authored a paper about methods to develop guidelines. Since it was published, the methods of guideline development have progressed both in terms of methods and necessary procedures and the context for guideline development has changed with the emergence of guideline clearing houses and large scale guideline production organisations (such as the UK National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence). It therefore seems timely to, in a series of three articles, update and extend our earlier paper. In this first paper we discuss: the target audience(s) for guidelines and their use of guidelines; identifying topics for guidelines; guideline group composition (including consumer involvement) and the processes by which guideline groups function and the important procedural issue of managing conflicts of interest in guideline development. PMID:22762776

Developing clinical practice guidelines: target audiences, identifying topics for guidelines, guideline group composition and functioning and conflicts of interest.

PubMed

Eccles, Martin P; Grimshaw, Jeremy M; Shekelle, Paul; Schünemann, Holger J; Woolf, Steven

2012-07-04

Clinical practice guidelines are one of the foundations of efforts to improve health care. In 1999, we authored a paper about methods to develop guidelines. Since it was published, the methods of guideline development have progressed both in terms of methods and necessary procedures and the context for guideline development has changed with the emergence of guideline clearing houses and large scale guideline production organisations (such as the UK National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence). It therefore seems timely to, in a series of three articles, update and extend our earlier paper. In this first paper we discuss: the target audience(s) for guidelines and their use of guidelines; identifying topics for guidelines; guideline group composition (including consumer involvement) and the processes by which guideline groups function and the important procedural issue of managing conflicts of interest in guideline development.

Developing clinical practice guidelines: reviewing, reporting, and publishing guidelines; updating guidelines; and the emerging issues of enhancing guideline implementability and accounting for comorbid conditions in guideline development

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Clinical practice guidelines are one of the foundations of efforts to improve health care. In 1999, we authored a paper about methods to develop guidelines. Since it was published, the methods of guideline development have progressed both in terms of methods and necessary procedures and the context for guideline development has changed with the emergence of guideline clearing houses and large scale guideline production organisations (such as the UK National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence). It therefore seems timely to, in a series of three articles, update and extend our earlier paper. In this third paper we discuss the issues of: reviewing, reporting, and publishing guidelines; updating guidelines; and the two emerging issues of enhancing guideline implementability and how guideline developers should approach dealing with the issue of patients who will be the subject of guidelines having co-morbid conditions. PMID:22762242

Pre-Columbian medicine and the kidney.

PubMed

Peña, J C

1999-01-01

Medicine in Mesoamerican cultures began in the year 1500 BC and ended with the conquest and destruction of Mexico-Tenochtitlan in 1521 by Spain. Mesoamerica started with the Olmec civilization followed by the Teoitihuacanes, Toltecs, and Mayas and perished with the Nahoa Empire. The medicine used by the Aztecs (ticiotl) is undoubtedly the sum of all Mesoamerican medicine. The medical history of the ticiotl was recovered in the years that followed the conquest from the works of Bernardino de Sahagún and Francisco Hernández and the Cruz-Badiano codex. All these works describe the use of plants and herbs in the treatment of diseases, including, edema, urinary retention, kidney stones, and podagra. The Aztec doctors (titicih) were also well acquainted with innumerable diseases and were excellent healers of wounds and fractures. The works of modern historians confirm the theory of the ticiotl medicine and its application by the titicih and define the differences between the hippocratic-galenic medicine and the ticiotl medicine. The latter used a complex and philosophically elaborated medical theory based on the polarity cold/warm, different from the four-humor theory. They demonstrate that every culture is capable to understand and 'invent' the meaning of disease and its cure, even when it is different from our modern medical views.

[The concept of illness and kidney diseases in Nahuatl medicine. Synthesis of Mesoamerican pre-Columbian medicine].

PubMed

Peña, José Carlos

2002-01-01

Medicine in Mesoamerican cultures began in the year 1,500 BC and ended with the conquest and destruction of Mexico-Tenochtitlan in 1521 by the Spanish conquerors. Mesoamerica began with the Olmec civilization followed by the Teotihuacans, Toltecs and Mayans, and perished during the Nahoa empire. The medicine used by the Aztecs (ticiotl) is undoubtedly the sum of all Mesoamerican medicine. The medical history of the ticiotl was recovered in the years that followed the conquest from the works of Bernardino de Sahagún, Francisco Hernández and the Cruz-Badiano codex. All these works described the use of plants and herbs in the treatment of diseases, including edema, urinary retention, kidney stones, and podagra. The Aztec doctors (Titici) were well acquainted with innumerable diseases and were excellent healers of wounds and fractures. The works of modern historians confirm the theory of the ticiotl medicine. The later used a complex and philosophically elaborated medical theory based on, religion, astronomy, divination and the polarity cold/warm; different from the four humor theory of galenic medicine. They demonstrated that every culture is capable of understanding and "inventing" the meaning of disease and its cure, even when it is different from our modern medical views.

Endozoicomonas dominates the gill and intestinal content microbiomes of Mytilus edulis from Barnegat Bay, New Jersey

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schill, William B.; Iwanowicz, Deborah; Adams, Cynthia

2017-01-01

Blue mussels, Mytilus edulis, Linnaeus 1758 from southern Barnegat Bay, New Jersey were examined to determine the make-up of the normal blue mussel microbiome. Sequencing of 16S ribosomal DNA amplicons from gill and intestinal content microbiomes using the Illumina® MiSeq platform yielded 1,276,161 paired end sequence reads from the gill libraries and 1,092,333 paired end sequence reads from the intestinal content libraries. General bioinformatic analyses were conducted with the open-source packages Qiime and Mothur. Phylotype assignments to the genus level were made using the commercial One Codex platform. This resulted in 1,697,852 gill and 988,436 intestinal content sequences being classified to genus. A majority of these (67.6% and 37.2% respectively) were assigned to a single operational taxonomic unit (Mytilus edulis Symbiont, MeS) that has homologies with other recently described Endozoicomonas pathogens and symbionts of marine invertebrates. MeS shares 98% identity with an uncultured bacterium from the gill tissue of an invasive indo-Pacific oyster and with HQE1 and HQE2 isolated from the sea squirt, Styela clava. Other than MeS, most of the detected bacterial species are known from marine sediments and seawater.

Arsenic, cadmium, lead, and chromium in well water, rice, and human urine in Sri Lanka in relation to chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology.

PubMed

S Herath, H M Ayala; Kawakami, Tomonori; Nagasawa, Shiori; Serikawa, Yuka; Motoyama, Ayuri; Chaminda, G G Tushara; Weragoda, S K; Yatigammana, S K; Amarasooriya, A A G D

2018-04-01

Chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology (CKDu) is spreading gradually in Sri Lanka. In the current research, 1,435 well water samples from all 25 districts of Sri Lanka, 91 rice samples, and 84 human urine samples from both CKDu-endemic and non-endemic areas in Sri Lanka were analyzed for arsenic, cadmium, lead, and chromium to detect whether toxic elements could be a cause of CKDu. The liver-type fatty acid binding protein (L-FABP) concentration and arsenic, cadmium, lead, and chromium concentrations of the urine samples were analyzed to determine the relation of L-FABP with arsenic, cadmium, lead, and chromium. High concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, lead, and chromium were not detected in the well water samples from CKDu-endemic areas. Arsenic, cadmium, and lead contents in the rice samples from both CKDu-endemic and non-endemic areas were well below the Codex standard. There were no relationships between the L-FABP concentration and concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, lead, and chromium in urine. In addition, arsenic, cadmium, lead, and chromium concentrations in human urine samples from CKDu-endemic areas were not significantly different from those from non-endemic areas. These findings indicated that arsenic, cadmium, lead, and chromium could not cause CKDu.

Gluten contamination of naturally gluten-free flours and starches used by Canadians with celiac disease.

PubMed

Koerner, Terence B; Cleroux, Chantal; Poirier, Christine; Cantin, Isabelle; La Vieille, Sébastien; Hayward, Stephen; Dubois, Sheila

2013-01-01

A large national investigation into the extent of gluten cross-contamination of naturally gluten-free ingredients (flours and starches) sold in Canada was performed. Samples (n = 640) were purchased from eight Canadian cities and via the internet during the period 2010-2012 and analysed for gluten contamination. The results showed that 61 of the 640 (9.5%) samples were contaminated above the Codex-recommended maximum level for gluten-free products (20 mg kg⁻¹) with a range of 5-7995 mg kg⁻¹. For the ingredients that were labelled gluten-free the contamination range (5-141 mg kg⁻¹) and number of samples were lower (3 of 268). This picture was consistent over time, with approximately the same percentage of samples above 20 mg kg⁻¹ in both the initial set and the subsequent lot. Looking at the total mean (composite) contamination for specific ingredients the largest and most consistent contaminations come from higher fibre ingredients such as soy (902 mg kg⁻¹), millet (272 mg kg⁻¹) and buckwheat (153 mg kg⁻¹). Of the naturally gluten-free flours and starches tested that do not contain a gluten-free label, the higher fibre ingredients would constitute the greatest probability of being contaminated with gluten above 20 mg kg⁻¹.

[Polyhedron of Dürer's engraving Melancholia. I--a Nürnberg sketch representing the Archimedean body].

PubMed

Weitzel, Hans

2007-01-01

New mathematical hypotheses are postulated concerning the truncated rhombohedron in Dürer's engraving Melencolia.I as well as the relation of the rhombohedron to the magic square. The two free parameters of a truncated rhombohedron have to be chosen in a way that (i) its front orthogonal elevation is nearly quadratical and with the form of the magic square, and that (ii) it possesses approximately a circumscribed sphere. Both conditions result in a value of 79.2 degrees for the angle of the rhombohedron. Measuring two lengths of the rhombohedron of the engraving yields the same value. In the magic square, the numbers are positioned in a way that the connection lines between four numbers give the sum 34 for lines which are the projection lines of the edges of the rhombohedron. In the Nürnberg-Codex of Dürer's manuscripts, exists a page with some sketches of mostly archimedean solids. One sketch represents a pentagon with approximately the measures of the six lateral faces of the truncated rhombohedron. It has to be looked upon as a preliminary sketch for the solid of the engraving. In 1543 Augustin Hirschvogel from Nürnberg, as the next after Dürer, rediscovered a further archimedean solid; this rediscovering has been attributed to D. Barbaro until now.

Control software and electronics architecture design in the framework of the E-ELT instrumentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Di Marcantonio, P.; Coretti, I.; Cirami, R.; Comari, M.; Santin, P.; Pucillo, M.

2010-07-01

During the last years the European Southern Observatory (ESO), in collaboration with other European astronomical institutes, has started several feasibility studies for the E-ELT (European-Extremely Large Telescope) instrumentation and post-focal adaptive optics. The goal is to create a flexible suite of instruments to deal with the wide variety of scientific questions astronomers would like to see solved in the coming decades. In this framework INAF-Astronomical Observatory of Trieste (INAF-AOTs) is currently responsible of carrying out the analysis and the preliminary study of the architecture of the electronics and control software of three instruments: CODEX (control software and electronics) and OPTIMOS-EVE/OPTIMOS-DIORAMAS (control software). To cope with the increased complexity and new requirements for stability, precision, real-time latency and communications among sub-systems imposed by these instruments, new solutions have been investigated by our group. In this paper we present the proposed software and electronics architecture based on a distributed common framework centered on the Component/Container model that uses OPC Unified Architecture as a standard layer to communicate with COTS components of three different vendors. We describe three working prototypes that have been set-up in our laboratory and discuss their performances, integration complexity and ease of deployment.

Evaluation of certain veterinary drug residues in food. Eighty-first report of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives.

PubMed

2016-01-01

This report represents the conclusions of a Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee convened to evaluate the safety of residues of certain veterinary drugs in food and to recommend maximum levels for such residues in food. The first part of the report considers general principles regarding the evaluation of residues of veterinary drugs within the terms of reference of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), including MRLs for generic fish species, acute reference doses (ARfDs) for veterinary drugs, an approach for dietary exposure assessment of compounds used for multiple purposes (i.e veterinary drugs and pesticides), dietary exposure assessment for less-than-lifetime exposure, and the assessment of short-term (90-day and 12-month) studies in dogs. Summaries follow of the Committee's evaluations of toxicological and residue data on a variety of veterinary drugs: two insecticides (diflubenzuron and teflubenzuron), an antiparasitic agent (ivermectin), an ectoparasiticide (sisapronil) and a β2-adrenoceptor agonist (zilpaterol hydrochloride). In addition, the Committee considered issues raised in concern forms from the Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods on lasalocid sodium, an antiparasitic agent. Annexed to the report is a summary of the Committee's recommendations on these drugs, including acceptable daily intakes (ADIs), ARfDs and proposed MRLs.

Characterizing the Intrinsic Fluorescence Properties of Historical Painting Materials: The Case Study of a Sixteenth-Century Mesoamerican Manuscript.

PubMed

Pottier, Fabien; Michelin, Anne; Andraud, Christine; Goubard, Fabrice; Lavédrine, Bertrand

2018-04-01

Ultraviolet visible (UV-Vis) fluorescence spectroscopy is widely used to study polychrome objects and can help to identify the nature of certain materials when they present specific fluorescent properties. However, given the complexity of the stratified and heterogeneous materials under study, the characterization of an intrinsic fluorescence related to a given constituent (a pigment or a binder composing a paint layer for example) is not straightforward, and the recorded raw data need to be corrected for a number of effects that can influence the detected spectral distribution. The application of standard correction procedures to experimental fluorescence data gathered on the polychromatic surface of the Codex Borbonicus, a 16th-century Aztec manuscript, is described. The results are confronted to an alternate new methodology that is based on the hypothesis of transparent non-scattering paint layers. This second approach allows to establish more clearly the material origin of the detected emission and to discriminate apparent fluorescence (emitted by the substrate and transmitted through the paint layers) from actual intrinsic emission generated by the coloring materials under study. The results show that most of the various emission profiles detected in the paint layers of the manuscript actually originate from a unique fluorophore (composing the substrate) and should not be used to characterize the coloring materials.

Resolving asymmetries along the pulsation cycle of the Mira star X Hydrae

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haubois, X.; Wittkowski, M.; Perrin, G.; Kervella, P.; Mérand, A.; Thiébaut, E.; Ridgway, S. T.; Ireland, M.; Scholz, M.

2015-10-01

Context. The mass-loss process in Mira stars probably occurs in an asymmetric way where dust can form in inhomogeneous circumstellar molecular clumps. Following asymmetries along the pulsation cycle can give us clues about these mass-loss processes. Aims: We imaged the Mira star X Hya and its environnement at different epochs to follow the evolution of the morphology in the continuum and in the molecular bands. Methods: We observed X Hya with AMBER in J-H-K at low resolution at two epochs. We modelled squared visibilities with geometrical and physical models. We also present imaging reconstruction results obtained with MiRA and based on the physical a priori images. Results: We report on the angular scale change of X Hya between the two epochs. 1D CODEX profiles allowed us to understand and model the spectral variation of squared visibilities and constrain the stellar parameters. Reconstructed model-dependent images enabled us to reproduce closure phase signals and the azimuthal dependence of squared visibilities. They show evidence for material inhomogeneities located in the immediate environment of the star. Based on observations obtained with the ESO VLTI/ATs telescopes under the program ID 084.D-0326. Figures 7-12 are available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

Biomagnifications of mercury and methylmercury in tuna and mackerel.

PubMed

Hajeb, P; Jinap, S; Ahmad, I

2010-12-01

Seawater may be contaminated by harmful substances, including toxic elements released by human activities. The present study evaluates the total mercury and methylmercury concentrations and their correlations to fish body size in longtail tuna and short-bodied mackerel from Chendring, Kuantan, at east coast and Kuala Perlis at west costs of Peninsular Malaysia during May to November 2007. Total mercury and methylmercury in muscle tissue of 69 samples of longtail tuna and short-bodied mackerel, ranged from 0.180 to 1.460 μg/g and 0.0.169-0.973 μg/g and 0.251-1.470 μg/g and 0.202-1.352, whereas the methylmercury to total mercury ratio ranged from 70% to 83%, respectively. Samples of both species from the east coast showed higher levels of mercury compared to those from west coast. In all of the locations, significant positive correlations were found between fish body weight and mercury content (R(2) > 0.470). The estimated weekly intake of total mercury and methylmercury from the consumption 66.33 g/week of short-bodied mackerel and 18.34 g/week of longtail tuna (based on local dietry survey) was found to be lower than the maximum limit of 5 and 1.5 μg/kg bodyweight established by FAO/WHO and codex, respectively.

Reporting of financial conflicts of interest in clinical practice guidelines: a case study analysis of guidelines from the Canadian Medical Association Infobase.

PubMed

Shnier, Adrienne; Lexchin, Joel; Romero, Mirna; Brown, Kevin

2016-08-15

Clinical practice guidelines are widely distributed by medical associations and relied upon by physicians for the best available clinical evidence. International findings report that financial conflicts of interest (FCOI) with drug companies may influence drug recommendations and are common among guideline authors. There is no comparable study on exclusively Canadian guidelines; therefore, we provide a case study of authors' FCOI declarations in guidelines from the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) Infobase. We also assess the financial relationships between guideline-affiliated organizations and drug companies. Using a population approach, we extracted first-line drug recommendations and authors' FCOI disclosures in guidelines from the CMA Infobase. We contacted the corresponding authors on guidelines when FCOI disclosures were missing for some or all authors. We also extracted guideline-affiliated organizations and searched each of their websites to determine if they had financial relationships with drug companies. We analyzed 350 authors from 28 guidelines. Authors were named on one, two, or three guidelines, yielding 400 FCOI statements. In 75.0 % of guidelines at least one author, and in 21.4 % of guidelines all authors, disclosed FCOI with drug companies. In 54.0 % of guidelines at least one author, and in 28.6 % of guidelines over half of the authors, disclosed FCOI with manufacturers of drugs that they recommended. Twenty of 48 authors on multiple guidelines reported different FCOI in their disclosures. Eight guidelines identified affiliated organizations with financial relationships with manufacturers of drugs recommended in those guidelines. This is the first study to systematically describe FCOI disclosures by authors of Canadian guidelines and financial relationships between guideline-affiliated organizations and pharmaceutical companies. These financial relationships are common. Because authoritative value is assigned to guidelines distributed by medical associations, we encourage them to develop formal policies to limit the potential influence of FCOI on guideline recommendations.

The development of oncology treatment guidelines: an analysis of the National Guidelines Clearinghouse.

PubMed

Palta, Manisha; Lee, W Robert

2011-01-01

In the last 2 decades, guidelines have been developed to improve quality of patient care. A recent editorial of guideline development procedures suggested the process has significant limitations that affect their scientific validity.(1) This prompted us to review oncology treatment guidelines to determine if such limitations are widespread. We performed a review of oncology treatment guidelines registered at the National Guidelines Clearinghouse (www.guideline.gov). Each guideline was independently reviewed by 2 authors and the following criteria were assessed: coordinating organization, guideline panel composition, reporting conflict of interest, peer review, dissent, expiration date, PubMed citation, and evidence-based scoring and grading of recommendations. Disagreements were resolved by consensus in subsequent discussions. Sixty-four guidelines were reviewed (39 [61%] were developed by a medical specialty society and 25 [39%] were developed by government agencies). Fifty (78%) guideline panels were multidisciplinary and 44 (69%) included individuals with epidemiologic and health services research expertise. Potential conflicts of interest were disclosed in 43 (67%) guidelines. Sixty (94%) guidelines underwent peer review, with external review in 31 (48%). Seventeen (27%) guidelines are indexed by PubMed. Fifty-one (80%) guidelines included evidence-based methodologies and 46 (72%) used evidence-based scoring of recommendations. Significant differences were observed according to coordinating organization (eg, disclosure of conflict of interest in 46% of guidelines developed by medical specialty societies versus 100% authored by government agencies [P <.0001]). The majority of oncology-related treatment guidelines registered at the National Guidelines Clearinghouse satisfy most of the criteria for sound guideline development. Significant differences in these criteria were observed according to the coordinating organization that developed the guideline. Copyright © 2011 American Society for Radiation Oncology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Recommendations for kidney disease guideline updating: a report by the KDIGO Methods Committee

PubMed Central

Uhlig, Katrin; Berns, Jeffrey S.; Carville, Serena; Chan, Wiley; Cheung, Michael; Guyatt, Gordon H.; Hart, Allyson; Lewis, Sandra Zelman; Tonelli, Marcello; Webster, Angela C.; Wilt, Timothy J.; Kasiske, Bertram L.

2017-01-01

Updating rather than de novo guideline development now accounts for the majority of guideline activities for many guideline development organizations, including Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO), an international kidney disease guideline development entity that has produced guidelines on kidney diseases since 2008. Increasingly, guideline developers are moving away from updating at fixed intervals in favor of more flexible approaches that use periodic expert assessment of guideline currency (with or without an updated systematic review) to determine the need for updating. Determining the need for guideline updating in an efficient, transparent, and timely manner is challenging, and updating of systematic reviews and guidelines is labor intensive. Ideally, guidelines should be updated dynamically when new evidence indicates a need for a substantive change in the guideline based on a priori criteria. This dynamic updating (sometimes referred to as a living guideline model) can be facilitated with the use of integrated electronic platforms that allow updating of specific recommendations. This report summarizes consensus-based recommendations from a panel of guideline methodology professionals on how to keep KDIGO guidelines up to date. PMID:26994574

Clinical practice guidelines for psychiatrists: Indian Psychiatric Society guidelines vs. international guidelines: A critical appraisal.

PubMed

Goel, Dishanter; Trivedi, Jitendra Kumar

2007-10-01

Various guidelines have been proposed to assist psychiatrists all over the world in making appropriate health-care decisions. Though the fundamental premises of all guidelines are the same, yet they differ in certain important aspects; this hampers the universality of these guidelines. There are many internationally accepted guidelines which are based on robust research; still they do not necessarily address the geographical and cultural differences. This necessitates the formulation of regional guidelines, which usually lack the background of robust regional research. The Indian Psychiatric Society (IPS) guidelines were also formulated to cater to the needs of the Indian population. It is now almost three years old, and it is high time it should be compared to the international guidelines, so as to appraise ourselves of the success or shortcomings of the guidelines. This article critically analyzes the IPS guidelines in comparison with the available international guidelines and schematically brings out the positive points, as well as the shortcomings, with the aim of further improvement in our indigenous guidelines.

Fifteen hundred guidelines and growing: the UK database of clinical guidelines.

PubMed

van Loo, John; Leonard, Niamh

2006-06-01

The National Library for Health offers a comprehensive searchable database of nationally approved clinical guidelines, called the Guidelines Finder. This resource, commissioned in 2002, is managed and developed by the University of Sheffield Health Sciences Library. The authors introduce the historical and political dimension of guidelines and the nature of guidelines as a mechanism to ensure clinical effectiveness in practice. The article then outlines the maintenance and organisation of the Guidelines Finder database itself, the criteria for selection, who publishes guidelines and guideline formats, usage of the Guidelines Finder service and finally looks at some lessons learnt from a local library offering a national service. Clinical guidelines are central to effective clinical practice at the national, organisational and individual level. The Guidelines Finder is one of the most visited resources within the National Library for Health and is successful in answering information needs related to specific patient care, clinical research, guideline development and education.

A critical appraisal of guidelines for the management of knee osteoarthritis using Appraisal of Guidelines Research and Evaluation criteria

PubMed Central

Poitras, Stéphane; Avouac, Jérôme; Rossignol, Michel; Avouac, Bernard; Cedraschi, Christine; Nordin, Margareta; Rousseaux, Chantal; Rozenberg, Sylvie; Savarieau, Bernard; Thoumie, Philippe; Valat, Jean-Pierre; Vignon, Éric; Hilliquin, Pascal

2007-01-01

Clinical practice guidelines have been elaborated to summarize evidence related to the management of knee osteoarthritis and to facilitate uptake of evidence-based knowledge by clinicians. The objectives of the present review were summarizing the recommendations of existing guidelines on knee osteoarthritis, and assessing the quality of the guidelines using a standardized and validated instrument – the Appraisal of Guidelines Research and Evaluation (AGREE) tool. Internet medical literature databases from 2001 to 2006 were searched for guidelines, with six guidelines being identified. Thirteen clinician researchers participated in the review. Each reviewer was trained in the AGREE instrument. The guidelines were distributed to four groups of three or four reviewers, each group reviewing one guideline with the exception of one group that reviewed two guidelines. One independent evaluator reviewed all guidelines. All guidelines effectively addressed only a minority of AGREE domains. Clarity/presentation was effectively addressed in three out of six guidelines, scope/purpose and rigour of development in two guidelines, editorial independence in one guideline, and stakeholder involvement and applicability in none. The clinical management recommendation tended to be similar among guidelines, although interventions addressed varied. Acetaminophen was recommended for initial pain treatment, combined with exercise and education. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were recommended if acetaminophen failed to control pain, but cautiously because of gastrointestinal risks. Surgery was recommended in the presence of persistent pain and disability. Education and activity management interventions were superficially addressed in most guidelines. Guideline creators should use the AGREE criteria when developing guidelines. Innovative and effective methods of knowledge translation to health professionals are needed. PMID:18062805

Systematic review of guidelines for management of intermediate hepatocellular carcinoma using the Appraisal of Guidelines Research and Evaluation II instrument.

PubMed

Holvoet, Tom; Raevens, Sarah; Vandewynckel, Yves-Paul; Van Biesen, Wim; Geboes, Karen; Van Vlierberghe, Hans

2015-10-01

Hepatocellular carcinoma is the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Multiple guidelines have been developed to assist clinicians in its management. We aimed to explore methodological quality of these guidelines focusing on treatment of intermediate hepatocellular carcinoma by transarterial chemoembolization. A systematic search was performed for Clinical Practice Guidelines and Consensus statements for hepatocellular carcinoma management. Guideline quality was appraised using the Appraisal of Guidelines Research and Evaluation II instrument, which rates guideline development processes across 6 domains: 'Scope and purpose', 'Stakeholder involvement', 'Rigour of development', 'Clarity of presentation', 'Applicability' and 'Editorial independence'. Thematic analysis of guidelines was performed to map differences in recommendations. Quality of 21 included guidelines varied widely, but was overall poor with only one guideline passing the 50% mark on all domains. Key recommendations as (contra)indications and technical aspects were inconsistent between guidelines. Aspects on side effects and health economics were mainly neglected. Methodological quality of guidelines on transarterial chemoembolization in hepatocellular carcinoma management is poor. This results in important discrepancies between guideline recommendations, creating confusion in clinical practice. Incorporation of the Appraisal of Guidelines Research and Evaluation II instrument in guideline development may improve quality of future guidelines by increasing focus on methodological aspects. Copyright © 2015 Editrice Gastroenterologica Italiana S.r.l. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Computerization of guidelines: towards a "guideline markup language".

PubMed

Dart, T; Xu, Y; Chatellier, G; Degoulet, P

2001-01-01

Medical decision making is one of the most difficult daily tasks for physicians. Guidelines have been designed to reduce variance between physicians in daily practice, to improve patient outcomes and to control costs. In fact, few physicians use guidelines in daily practice. A way to ease the use of guidelines is to implement computerised guidelines (computer reminders). We present in this paper a method of computerising guidelines. Our objectives were: 1) to propose a generic model that can be instantiated for any specific guidelines; 2) to use eXtensible Markup Language (XML) as a guideline representation language to instantiate the generic model for a specific guideline. Our model is an object representation of a clinical algorithm, it has been validated by running two different guidelines issued by a French official Agency. In spite of some limitations, we found that this model is expressive enough to represent complex guidelines devoted to diabetes and hypertension management. We conclude that XML can be used as a description format to structure guidelines and as an interface between paper-based guidelines and computer applications.

Correlates of meeting the combined and independent aerobic and strength exercise guidelines in hematologic cancer survivors.

PubMed

Vallerand, James R; Rhodes, Ryan E; Walker, Gordon J; Courneya, Kerry S

2017-03-28

Most previous research on the correlates of physical activity has examined the aerobic or strength exercise guidelines separately. Such an approach does not allow an examination of the correlates of meeting the combined guidelines versus a single guideline, or one guideline versus the other. Here, we report the prevalence and correlates of meeting the combined and independent exercise guidelines in hematologic cancer survivors (HCS). In a population-based, cross-sectional survey of 606 HCS from Alberta, Canada using a mailed questionnaire, we obtained separate assessments of aerobic and strength exercise behaviors, as well as separate assessments for motivations, regulations, and reflective processes using the multi-process action control framework (M-PAC). Overall, 22% of HCS met the combined exercise guideline, 22% met aerobic-only, 10% met strength-only, and 46% met neither exercise guideline. HCS were more likely to meet the combined guideline over the aerobic-only guideline if they had no children living at home, and over both the aerobic and strength-only guidelines if they had completed university. As hypothesized, those meeting the combined guideline also had a more favorable strength-specific M-PAC profile (i.e., motivations, regulations, and reflective processes) than those meeting the aerobic-only guideline, and a more favorable aerobic-specific M-PAC profile than those meeting the strength-only guideline. Interestingly and unexpectedly, HCS meeting the combined guidelines also reported significantly greater aerobic-specific perceived control, planning, and obligation/regret than those meeting the aerobic-only guideline, and greater strength-specific perceived control, planning, and obligation/regret than those meeting the strength-only guideline. Few HCS are meeting the combined exercise guidelines. M-PAC based variables are strong correlates of meeting the combined guidelines compared to aerobic or strength only guidelines. Strategies to help HCS meet the combined guidelines may need to promote more favorable behavioral regulations and reflective processes for both types of exercise rather than just the type of exercise in which HCS are deficient.

Conflict of Interest in Seminal Hepatitis C Virus and Cholesterol Management Guidelines.

PubMed

Jefferson, Akilah A; Pearson, Steven D

2017-03-01

Little is known regarding whether Institute of Medicine (IOM) standards for managing conflicts of interest (COI) have been met in the development of recent important clinical guidelines. To evaluate adherence to the IOM standards for limits on commercial COI, guideline development, and evaluation of evidence by the 2013 American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association cholesterol management guideline and the 2014 American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases and Infectious Diseases Society of America hepatitis C virus management guideline. This study was a retrospective document review of the June 2014 print version of the cholesterol guideline and the final September 2015 print version of the hepatitis C virus guideline. Each guideline was assessed for adherence to the IOM standards for commercial COI published in the 2011 special report Clinical Practice Guidelines We Can Trust. The IOM standards call for no commercial COI among guideline committee chairs and cochairs and for less than 50% of committee members to have commercial COI. Guideline and contemporaneous article disclosure statements were used to evaluate adherence to these standards. Each guideline was also reviewed for adherence to other IOM standards for guideline development and evidence review. Among the 16 cholesterol guideline committee members, 7 (44%) disclosed commercial COI, all 7 reported industry-sponsored research, and 6 (38%) also reported consultancy. Of 3 guideline chairs and cochairs, 1 (33%) disclosed commercial COI. Review of contemporaneous articles identified additional commercial COI. Among the 29 hepatitis C virus guideline committee members, 21 (72%) reported commercial COI. Eighteen (62%) disclosed industry-sponsored research, 10 (34%) served on advisory boards, 5 (17%) served on data safety monitoring boards, 3 (10%) were consultants, and 3 (10%) reported other honoraria. Of 6 guideline cochairs, 4 (67%) disclosed commercial COI. All 4 disclosed additional COI in other publications that were not listed in their guideline disclosures. Contemporaneous literature review revealed an additional cochair with commercial COI. Of the 9 IOM guideline development and evidence standards, the cholesterol guideline met 5 (56%), and the hepatitis C virus guideline met them all. Neither the cholesterol guideline nor the hepatitis C virus guideline fully met the IOM standards for commercial COI management, and discordance between committee leader guideline disclosures and those in contemporaneous articles was common. Adherence to additional IOM standards for guideline development and evidence review was mixed. Adoption of consistent COI frameworks across specialty societies may help ensure that clinical guidelines are developed in a transparent and trustworthy manner.

Drug Development Pipeline

MedlinePlus

... Care Guidelines Newborn Screening Clinical Care Guidelines Sweat Test Clinical Care Guidelines Infection Prevention and Control Care Guidelines Allergic Bronchopulmonary Aspergillosis Clinical Care Guidelines ...

Parents' adherence to pediatric health and safety guidelines: Importance of patient-provider relationships.

PubMed

Fuzzell, Lindsay N; LaJoie, A Scott; Smith, Kyle T; Philpott, Sydney E; Jones, Katherine M; Politi, Mary C

2018-05-01

To examine 1) parent-provider communication about pediatric health/safety guidelines, 2) trust in child's provider, 3) comfort discussing guidelines, 4) agreement with guideline advice, 5) self-efficacy following guidelines, and their impact on guideline adherence. 256 parents of children ages 0-6 completed an online survey about sunscreen use, newborn Vitamin K injections, influenza vaccination, routine vaccination, car seats, infant safe sleep, furniture anchoring, large trampoline use, and firearm safety. Multivariable models regressed: 1) communication about each guideline on parents' corresponding guideline adherence; 2) trust, comfort discussing guidelines, agreement with guideline advice, self-efficacy, on parents' total guideline adherence. Communication about furniture anchoring (OR = 2.26), sunscreen (OR = 5.28), Vitamin K injections (OR = 3.20), influenza vaccination (OR = 13.71), routine vaccination (OR = 6.43), car seats (OR = 6.15), and infant safe sleep (OR = 3.40) related to corresponding guideline adherence (ps < 0.05). Firearm safety communication was not related to adherence (OR = 1.11, n.s.). Trampoline communication related to lower likelihood of trampoline guideline adherence (OR = 0.24, p = 0.001). Agreement with guideline advice (β = 0.35), trust (β = 0.34), self-efficacy (β = 0.45), comfort discussing guidelines (β = 0.35) positively related to total guideline adherence (ps < 0.001). Findings underscore the importance of provider communication about health/safety guidelines. Providers should respectfully engage and build relationships with parents to support health/safety guideline adherence. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

[Cancer pain management: Systematic review and critical appraisal of clinical practice guidelines].

PubMed

Martínez-Nicolás, I; Ángel-García, D; Saturno, P J; López-Soriano, F

2016-01-01

Although several clinical practice guidelines have been developed in the last decades, cancer pain management is still deficient. The purpose of this work was to carry out a comprehensive and systematic literature review of current clinical practice guidelines on cancer pain management, and critically appraise their methodology and content in order to evaluate their quality and validity to cope with this public health issue. A systematic review was performed in the main databases, using English, French and Spanish as languages, from 2008 to 2013. Reporting and methodological quality was rated with the Appraisal of Guidelines, Research and Evaluation II (AGREE-II) tool, including an inter-rater reliability analysis. Guideline recommendations were extracted and classified into several categories and levels of evidence, aiming to analyse guidelines variability and evidence-based content comprehensiveness. Six guidelines were included. A wide variability was found in both reporting and methodological quality of guidelines, as well as in the content and the level of evidence of their recommendations. The Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network guideline was the best rated using AGREE-II, while the Sociedad Española de Oncología Médica guideline was the worst rated. The Ministry of Health Malaysia guideline was the most comprehensive, and the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network guideline was the second one. The current guidelines on cancer pain management have limited quality and content. We recommend Ministry of Health Malaysia and Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network guidelines, whilst Sociedad Española de Oncología Médica guideline still needs to improve. Copyright © 2015 SECA. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Quality appraisal of clinical practice guidelines on the use of physiotherapy in rheumatoid arthritis: a systematic review.

PubMed

Hurkmans, Emalie J; Jones, Anamaria; Li, Linda C; Vliet Vlieland, Theodora P M

2011-10-01

To assess the quality of guidelines published in peer-reviewed literature concerning the role of physiotherapy in the management of patients with RA. A systematic literature search for clinical practice guidelines that included physiotherapy interventions was performed in four electronic databases. We assessed the quality of the selected guidelines using the appraisal of guidelines for research and evaluation (AGREE) instrument. In addition, the recommendations of guidelines with the highest quality scores were summarized. Eight clinical practice guidelines fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Scope/purpose was the most often adequately addressed AGREE domain (in seven of the eight guidelines) and applicability the least (in two of the eight guidelines). Based on the AGREE domain scores, six guidelines could be recommended or strongly recommended for clinical use. Five out of these six (strongly) recommended guidelines included a recommendation on exercise therapy and/or patient education, with these interventions being recommended in every case. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and thermotherapy were recommended in four of these six guidelines. US, thermotherapy, low-level laser therapy, massage, passive mobilization and balneotherapy were addressed in one or two of these six guidelines. Six of eight clinical practice guidelines addressing physiotherapy interventions were recommended or strongly recommended according to the AGREE instrument. In general, guideline recommendations on physiotherapy intervention, from both the recommended guidelines as well as from the not recommended guidelines, lacked detail concerning mode of delivery, intensity, frequency and duration.

Improving the adaptability of WHO evidence-informed guidelines for nutrition actions: results of a mixed methods evaluation.

PubMed

Dedios, Maria Cecilia; Esperato, Alexo; De-Regil, Luz Maria; Peña-Rosas, Juan Pablo; Norris, Susan L

2017-03-21

Over the past decade, the World Health Organization (WHO) has implemented a standardized, evidence-informed guideline development process to assure technically sound and policy-relevant guidelines. This study is an independent evaluation of the adaptability of the guidelines produced by the Evidence and Programme Guidance unit, at the Department of Nutrition for Health and Development (NHD). The study systematizes the lessons learned by the NHD group at WHO. We used a mixed methods approach to determine the adaptability of the nutrition guidelines. Adaptability was defined as having two components; methodological quality and implementability of guidelines. Additionally, we gathered recommendations to improve future guideline development in nutrition actions for health and development. Data sources for this evaluation were official documentation and feedback (both qualitative and quantitative) from key stakeholders involved in the development of nutrition guidelines. The qualitative data was collected through a desk review and two waves of semi-structured interviews (n = 12) and was analyzed through axial coding. Guideline adaptability was assessed quantitatively using two standardized instruments completed by key stakeholders. The Appraisal Guideline for Research and Evaluation questionnaire, version II was used to assess guideline quality (n = 6), while implementability was assessed with the electronic version of the GuideLine Implementability Appraisal (n = 7). The nutrition evidence-informed guideline development process has several strengths, among them are the appropriate management of conflicts of interest of guideline developers and the systematic use of high-quality evidence to inform the recommendations. These features contribute to increase the methodological quality of the guidelines. The key areas for improvement are the limited implementability of the recommendations, the lack of explicit and precise implementation advice in the guidelines and challenges related to collaborative work within interdisciplinary groups. Overall, our study found that the nutrition evidence-informed guidelines are of good methodological quality but that the implementability requires improvement. The recommendations to improve guideline adaptability address the guideline content, the dynamics shaping interdisciplinary work, and actions for implementation feasibility. As WHO relies heavily on a standardized procedure to develop guidelines, the lessons learned may be applicable to guideline development across the organization and to other groups developing guidelines.

[Guidelines 2.0: systematic development of a comprehensive checklist for a successful guideline enterprise].

PubMed

Morgano, Gian Paolo; Davoli, Marina; Moja, Lorenzo; Amato, Laura; Ferroni, Eliana; Tirani, Marcello

2015-06-01

Guideline developers worldwide are struggling with the lack of guidance for the practical steps in the guideline enterprise. Our objective was to systematically compile a comprehensive checklist of items linked to relevant resources and tools that guideline developers would consider for development and support of implementation. Data sources included manuals of international guideline developers, literature on guidelines for guidelines with a focus on international and national guideline agencies, professional societies, and recent systematic guidance articles. We reviewed these sources in duplicate, extracted items using a sensitive approach and developed overarching topics that are relevant to guidelines. In an iterative process, we reviewed items for duplication and omissions and involved experts in guideline development for revisions. We developed a checklist with 18 topics and 146 items and a webpage to facilitate its use by guideline developers (http://cebgrade.mcmaster.ca/guidecheck.html). The topics and items included cover all stages of the guideline enterprise, from planning to formulating recommendations, to dissemination and evaluation. The final itemized guideline development checklist (GDC) includes links to training material and resources for methodology. The GDC will serve as a resource for those involved in guideline development and we will use crowdsourcing to keep the checklist up to date and enhance it.

Are nutrition messages lost in transmission? Assessing the quality and consistency of diabetes guideline recommendations on the delivery of nutrition therapy.

PubMed

Hale, Kelli; Capra, Sandra; Bauer, Judy

2016-12-01

To provide an overview of (1) the consistency of Type 2 Diabetes Clinical Practice Guidelines recommendations on the delivery of nutrition therapy and (2) Clinical Practice Guideline quality. Large international clinical practice guideline repositories, diabetes organisation websites, and electronic databases (Pubmed, Scopus), were searched to identify Clinical Practice Guidelines for adults with type 2 diabetes published 2005 to August 2014. Recommendations on the delivery of nutrition therapy were extracted and inductive content analysis was used to analyse consistency. Two researchers independently assessed guideline quality using the AGREE II tool. Nine topics were identified from the recommendations. Overall the consistency of the recommendations was related to guideline type. Compared with nutrition-specific guidelines, the broad ones had a broader focus and included more patient-focused recommendations. The ten Clinical Practice Guidelines assessed included six broad guidelines and four nutrition specific guidelines. Based on AGREE II analysis, the broad guidelines were higher quality than nutrition-specific ones. Broad Clinical Practice Guidelines were higher quality and included more patient-focused recommendations than nutrition-specific ones. Our findings suggest a need for nutrition-specific guidelines to be modified to include greater patient-focus, or for practitioners delivering nutrition therapy to adopt broad Clinical Practice Guidelines. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cancer-related fatigue: appraising evidence-based guidelines for screening, assessment and management.

PubMed

Pearson, Elizabeth J M; Morris, Meg E; McKinstry, Carol E

2016-09-01

There is inconsistent management of cancer-related fatigue (CRF) by health professionals worldwide. This research aims to identify the most appropriate guidelines for the management of cancer-related fatigue. A systematic search of international literature identified evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for CRF. Four reviewers independently appraised the highest quality guidelines using the AGREE-II instrument and National Heath and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) guideline standards. Five guidelines met the inclusion criteria. Of these, the 2015 Canadian Association of Psychosocial Oncology (CAPO) CRF guidelines and the 2014 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) fatigue guidelines for cancer survivors were selected for in-depth appraisal. The CAPO guideline scored higher than the ASCO for five domains of the AGREE-II. For one domain, the differences were statistically significant (p ≤ 0.05). The CAPO guideline met 37 of 47 NHMRC mandatory guideline standards and the ASCO guideline met 20. The difference in the proportion of standards met was statistically significant for one domain (p ≤ 0.05). Both guidelines had low scores for applicability and implementation. Currently, the CAPO guideline for cancer-related fatigue has the strongest evidence for use. To enhance implementation, further strategies for guideline dissemination and application are needed.

Canadian physicians' attitudes about and preferences regarding clinical practice guidelines.

PubMed

Hayward, R S; Guyatt, G H; Moore, K A; McKibbon, K A; Carter, A O

1997-06-15

To assess Canadian physicians' confidence in, attitudes about and preferences regarding clinical practice guidelines. Cross-sectional, self-administered mailed survey. Stratified random sample of 3000 Canadian physicians; 1878 (62.6%) responded. Canada. Physicians' use of various information sources; familiarity with and confidence in guidelines; attitudes about guidelines and their effect on medical care; rating of importance of guidelines and other sources of information in clinical decision-making; rating of importance of various considerations in deciding whether to adopt a set of guidelines; and rating of usefulness of different formats for presenting guidelines. In all, 52% of the respondents reported using guidelines at least monthly, substantially less frequently than traditional information sources. Most of the respondents expressed confidence in guidelines issued by various physician organizations, but 51% to 77% were not confident in guidelines issued by federal or provincial health ministries or by health insurance plans. The respondents were generally positive about guidelines (e.g., over 50% strongly agreed that they are a convenient source of advice and good educational tools); however, 22% to 26% had concerns about loss of autonomy, the rigidity of guidelines and decreased satisfaction with medical practice. Endorsement by respected colleagues or major organizations was identified as very important by 78% and 62% of the respondents respectively in deciding whether to adopt a set of guidelines in their practice. User friendliness of the guidelines format was thought to be very important by 62%; short pamphlets, manuals summarizing a number of guidelines, journal articles and pocket cards summarizing guidelines were the preferred formats (identified as most useful by 50% to 62% of the respondents). Canadian physicians, although generally positive about guidelines and confident in those developed by clinicians, have not yet integrated the use of guidelines into their practices to a large extent. Our results suggest that respected organizations and opinion leaders should be involved in the development of guidelines and that the acceptability of any proposed format and medium for guidelines presentation should be pretested.

Development and evaluation of online evidence based guideline bank system.

PubMed

Park, Myonghwa

2006-01-01

The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate the online evidence-based nursing practice guideline bank system to support the best evidence-based decision in the clinical and community practice settings. The main homepage consisted of seven modules for introduction of site, EBN, guideline bank, guideline development, guideline review, related sites, and community. The major contents in the guidelines were purpose, developer, intended audience, method of development, target population, testing, knowledge components, and evaluation. Electronic versions of the guidelines were displayed by XML, PDF, and PDA versions. The system usability were evaluated by general users, guideline developers, and guideline reviewers on the web and the results showed high scores of satisfaction. This online evidence-based guideline bank system could support nurses' best and cost-effective clinical decision using the sharable standardized guidelines with education module of evidence based nursing.

Consumer involvement in topic and outcome selection in the development of clinical practice guidelines.

PubMed

Tong, Allison; Lopez-Vargas, Pamela; Howell, Martin; Phoon, Richard; Johnson, David; Campbell, Denise; Walker, Rowan G; Craig, Jonathan C

2012-12-01

Consumer involvement in guideline development is advocated, but minimal participation, such as a nominated consumer representative on a guideline working group, can inhibit their decision-making power and contribution. Little is known about how to involve consumers more effectively in guideline development. To describe a targeted approach for involving consumers actively in guideline development, by focusing on topic and outcome selection, and to discuss the impact on content and structure of the final guideline. Descriptive study. Patients and carers (n = 24) from a tertiary hospital in Sydney attended three structured peer-facilitated workshops to complete group-based exercises on topic and outcome selection for guidelines for early stage chronic kidney disease. These workshops were run in parallel with the guideline-writing group. For each exercise, participants formed small groups and facilitated their own discussion, recorded their responses and presented them to the wider group. The topics and outcomes identified were fed back to the guideline writers. The participants actively engaged in the workshop discussions and articulated topics and outcomes they perceived should be included in clinical guidelines. Four main changes to guideline-related outputs were observed. A new guideline subtopic was introduced, guidelines were consumer-endorsed, guideline recommendations and suggestions for clinical care were augmented with consumer-focused issues, and plain English guidelines were developed. Consumer workshops in parallel and feeding into guideline development can be a feasible and effective approach for active consumer contribution. This process can inform the development of both consumer-focused guidelines for clinicians and specific versions for consumers. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Methodology and reporting quality of reporting guidelines: systematic review.

PubMed

Wang, Xiaoqin; Chen, Yaolong; Yang, Nan; Deng, Wei; Wang, Qi; Li, Nan; Yao, Liang; Wei, Dang; Chen, Gen; Yang, Kehu

2015-09-22

With increasing attention put on the methodology of reporting guidelines, Moher et al. conducted a review of reporting guidelines up to December 2009. Information gaps appeared on many aspects. Therefore, in 2010, the Guidance for Developers of Health Research Reporting Guidelines was developed. With more than four years passed and a considerable investment was put into reporting guideline development, a large number of new, updated, and expanded reporting guidelines have become available since January 2010. We aimed to systematically review the reporting guidelines published since January 2010, and investigate the application of the Guidance. We systematically searched databases including the Cochrane Methodology Register, MEDLINE, and EMBASE, and retrieved EQUATOR and the website (if available) to find reporting guidelines as well as their accompanying documents. We screened the titles and abstracts resulting from searches and extracted data. We focused on the methodology and reporting of the included guidelines, and described information with a series of tables and narrative summaries. Data were summarized descriptively using frequencies, proportions, and medians as appropriate. Twenty-eight and 32 reporting guidelines were retrieved from databases and EQUATOR network, respectively. Reporting guidelines were designed for a broad spectrum of types of research. A considerable number of reporting guidelines were published and updated in recent years. Methods of initial items were given in 45 (75%) guidelines. Thirty-eight (63%) guidelines reported they have reached consensus, and 35 (58%) described their consensus methods. Only 9 (15%) guidelines followed the Guidance. Only few guidelines were developed complying with the Guidance. More attention should be paid to the quality of reporting guidelines.

10 CFR 960.3 - Implementation guidelines.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Implementation guidelines. 960.3 Section 960.3 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR THE PRELIMINARY SCREENING OF POTENTIAL SITES FOR A NUCLEAR WASTE REPOSITORY Implementation Guidelines § 960.3 Implementation guidelines. The guidelines of this subpart...

10 CFR 960.3 - Implementation guidelines.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Implementation guidelines. 960.3 Section 960.3 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR THE PRELIMINARY SCREENING OF POTENTIAL SITES FOR A NUCLEAR WASTE REPOSITORY Implementation Guidelines § 960.3 Implementation guidelines. The guidelines of this subpart...

10 CFR 960.3 - Implementation guidelines.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Implementation guidelines. 960.3 Section 960.3 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR THE PRELIMINARY SCREENING OF POTENTIAL SITES FOR A NUCLEAR WASTE REPOSITORY Implementation Guidelines § 960.3 Implementation guidelines. The guidelines of this subpart...

10 CFR 960.3 - Implementation guidelines.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Implementation guidelines. 960.3 Section 960.3 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR THE PRELIMINARY SCREENING OF POTENTIAL SITES FOR A NUCLEAR WASTE REPOSITORY Implementation Guidelines § 960.3 Implementation guidelines. The guidelines of this subpart...

10 CFR 960.3 - Implementation guidelines.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Implementation guidelines. 960.3 Section 960.3 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR THE PRELIMINARY SCREENING OF POTENTIAL SITES FOR A NUCLEAR WASTE REPOSITORY Implementation Guidelines § 960.3 Implementation guidelines. The guidelines of this subpart...

Guidelines 2.0: systematic development of a comprehensive checklist for a successful guideline enterprise.

PubMed

Schünemann, Holger J; Wiercioch, Wojtek; Etxeandia, Itziar; Falavigna, Maicon; Santesso, Nancy; Mustafa, Reem; Ventresca, Matthew; Brignardello-Petersen, Romina; Laisaar, Kaja-Triin; Kowalski, Sérgio; Baldeh, Tejan; Zhang, Yuan; Raid, Ulla; Neumann, Ignacio; Norris, Susan L; Thornton, Judith; Harbour, Robin; Treweek, Shaun; Guyatt, Gordon; Alonso-Coello, Pablo; Reinap, Marge; Brozek, Jan; Oxman, Andrew; Akl, Elie A

2014-02-18

Although several tools to evaluate the credibility of health care guidelines exist, guidance on practical steps for developing guidelines is lacking. We systematically compiled a comprehensive checklist of items linked to relevant resources and tools that guideline developers could consider, without the expectation that every guideline would address each item. We searched data sources, including manuals of international guideline developers, literature on guidelines for guidelines (with a focus on methodology reports from international and national agencies, and professional societies) and recent articles providing systematic guidance. We reviewed these sources in duplicate, extracted items for the checklist using a sensitive approach and developed overarching topics relevant to guidelines. In an iterative process, we reviewed items for duplication and omissions and involved experts in guideline development for revisions and suggestions for items to be added. We developed a checklist with 18 topics and 146 items and a webpage to facilitate its use by guideline developers. The topics and included items cover all stages of the guideline enterprise, from the planning and formulation of guidelines, to their implementation and evaluation. The final checklist includes links to training materials as well as resources with suggested methodology for applying the items. The checklist will serve as a resource for guideline developers. Consideration of items on the checklist will support the development, implementation and evaluation of guidelines. We will use crowdsourcing to revise the checklist and keep it up to date.

Guidelines 2.0: systematic development of a comprehensive checklist for a successful guideline enterprise

PubMed Central

Schünemann, Holger J.; Wiercioch, Wojtek; Etxeandia, Itziar; Falavigna, Maicon; Santesso, Nancy; Mustafa, Reem; Ventresca, Matthew; Brignardello-Petersen, Romina; Laisaar, Kaja-Triin; Kowalski, Sérgio; Baldeh, Tejan; Zhang, Yuan; Raid, Ulla; Neumann, Ignacio; Norris, Susan L.; Thornton, Judith; Harbour, Robin; Treweek, Shaun; Guyatt, Gordon; Alonso-Coello, Pablo; Reinap, Marge; Brožek, Jan; Oxman, Andrew; Akl, Elie A.

2014-01-01

Background: Although several tools to evaluate the credibility of health care guidelines exist, guidance on practical steps for developing guidelines is lacking. We systematically compiled a comprehensive checklist of items linked to relevant resources and tools that guideline developers could consider, without the expectation that every guideline would address each item. Methods: We searched data sources, including manuals of international guideline developers, literature on guidelines for guidelines (with a focus on methodology reports from international and national agencies, and professional societies) and recent articles providing systematic guidance. We reviewed these sources in duplicate, extracted items for the checklist using a sensitive approach and developed overarching topics relevant to guidelines. In an iterative process, we reviewed items for duplication and omissions and involved experts in guideline development for revisions and suggestions for items to be added. Results: We developed a checklist with 18 topics and 146 items and a webpage to facilitate its use by guideline developers. The topics and included items cover all stages of the guideline enterprise, from the planning and formulation of guidelines, to their implementation and evaluation. The final checklist includes links to training materials as well as resources with suggested methodology for applying the items. Interpretation: The checklist will serve as a resource for guideline developers. Consideration of items on the checklist will support the development, implementation and evaluation of guidelines. We will use crowdsourcing to revise the checklist and keep it up to date. PMID:24344144

Potential of goat probiotic to bind mutagens.

PubMed

Apás, Ana Lidia; González, Silvia Nelina; Arena, Mario Eduardo

2014-08-01

The mutagen binding ability of the goat probiotics (Lactobacillus reuteri DDL 19, Lactobacillus alimentarius DDL 48, Enterococcus faecium DDE 39, and Bifidobacterium bifidum DDBA) was evaluated. The oral administration of these probiotics reduced fecal mutagens and intestinal cancer markers in goats. Secondly, the effects of probiotics against the mutagenesis induced by sodium azide (SA), and Benzopyrene (B[α]P) by performing the modified Ames test using Salmonella typhimurium TA 100 was investigated. The capacity to bind benzopyrene and the stability of the bacterial-mutagen complex was analyzed by HPLC. The dismutagenic potential against both mutagens was proportional to probiotic concentration. Results showed that probiotic antimutagenic capacity against SA was ranging from 13 to 78%. The mixture of four goat probiotics (MGP) displayed higher antimutagenic activity against SA than any individual strains at the same cell concentration. This study shows that the highest diminution of mutagenicity in presence of B[α]P (74%) was observed in presence of MGP. The antimutagenic activity of nearly all the individual probiotic and the MGP were in concordance with the B[α]P binding determined by HPLC. According to our results, the B[α]P binding to probiotic was irreversible still after being washed with DMSO solution. The stability of the toxic compounds-bacterial cell binding is a key consideration when probiotic antimutagenic property is evaluated. MGP exhibits the ability to bind and detoxify potent mutagens, and this property can be useful in supplemented foods for goats since it can lead to the removal of potent mutagens and protect and enhance ruminal health and hence food safety of consumers. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Lactobacillus insicii sp. nov., isolated from fermented raw meat.

PubMed

Ehrmann, Matthias A; Kröckel, Lothar; Lick, Sonja; Radmann, Pia; Bantleon, Annegret; Vogel, Rudi F

2016-01-01

The analysis of the bacterial microbiota of retain samples of pork salami revealed an isolate (strain TMW 1.2011T) that could neither be assigned to typical genera of starter organisms nor to any other known meat-associated species. Cells were Gram-stain-positive, short, straight rods occurring singly, in pairs or short chains. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence and specific phenotypic characteristics showed that strain TMW 1.2011T belonged to the phylogenetic Lactobacillus alimentarius group, and the closest neighbours were Lactobacillus nodensis JCM 14932T (97.8 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity), Lactobacillus tucceti DSM 20183T (97.4 %), 'Lactobacillus ginsenosidimutans' EMML 3041 (97.3 %), Lactobacillus versmoldensis DSM 14857T (96.9 %) and Lactobacillus furfuricola JCM 18764T (97.2 %). Similarities using partial gene sequences of the alternative chronometers pheS, dnaK and rpoA also support these relationships. DNA-DNA relatedness between the novel isolate and L. nodensis JCM 14932T, L. versmoldensis DSM 14857T and L. tucceti DSM 20183T, L. furfuricola JCM 18764T and 'L. ginsenosidimutans' EMML 3041 were below 70 % and the DNA G+C content was 36.3 mol%. The cell-wall peptidoglycan type is l-Lys-Gly-d-Asp. Based on phylogenetic, chemotaxonomic and physiological evidence, strain TMW 1.2011T represents a novel species of the genus Lactobacillus, for which the name Lactobacillus insicii sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is TMW 1.2011T ( = CECT 8802T = DSM 29801T).

Combination of culture-dependent and culture-independent molecular methods for the determination of lactic microbiota in sucuk.

PubMed

Kesmen, Z; Yetiman, A E; Gulluce, A; Kacmaz, N; Sagdic, O; Cetin, B; Adiguzel, A; Sahin, F; Yetim, H

2012-02-15

In this study, the culture-dependent and culture-independent molecular methods were used for the identification of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in sucuk a Turkish fermented dry sausage. On the one hand, the PCR-DGGE method targetting the V1 and V3 regions of 16S DNA was applied to DNA that was directly extracted from sucuk samples. On the other hand, rep-PCR fingerprinting was performed for the primary differentiation and grouping of the isolates, and the results were confirmed by sequencing of the 16S rDNA and 16S-23S rDNA intergenic spacer region. As a result of the PCR-DGGE analysis of all the samples, total 8 different lactic acid bacteria were identified, and Lactobacillus sakei, Lactobacillus curvatus and Weissella viridescens were the dominant microbiota among these bacteria. The culture-dependent approach indicated that the majority of the strains belonged to the Lactobacillus genera including Lb. sakei, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lb. curvatus, Lactobacillus brevis, Lactobacillus farciminis and Lactobacillus alimentarius. However, Leuconostoc and Weisella were also detected as minor genera. Again, Lactococcus piscium, Weissella halotolerans, Staphylococcus succinus and the comigrated Staphylococcus piscifermentans/Staphylococcus condimenti/Staphylococcus carnosus group were detected only with the culture-independent method while Lb. plantarum, Leuconostoc mesenteroides and Leuconostoc citreum were identified only by using the culture-dependent method. In the results, it was concluded that the combination of culture-dependent and culture-independent methods was necessary for reliable and detailed investigation of LAB communities in fermented food products. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

7 CFR 272.3 - Operating guidelines and forms.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Operating guidelines and forms. 272.3 Section 272.3... Operating guidelines and forms. (a) Coverage of operating guidelines. State agencies shall prepare and... Guidelines. Other examples of Operating Guidelines are manuals, instructions, directives or transmittal memos...

[Clinical application evaluation of Guidelines for Diagnosis and Treatment of Internal Diseases in Traditional Chinese Medicine].

PubMed

Han, Xue-Jie; Liu, Meng-Yu; Lian, Zhi-Hua; Wang, Li-Ying; Shi, Nan-Nan; Zhao, Jun

2017-09-01

To evaluate the applicability and clinical applications of Guidelines for Diagnosis and Treatment of Internal Diseases in Traditional Chinese Medicine, so as to provide the basis for the revision of the guidelines. This study was completed by the research and promotion base for traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) standard. The methods of applicability evaluation and application evaluation were used in the study. The questionnaires were filled out to evaluate applicability of the guideline, including doctor's familiarity with the guideline,the quality of the guideline, applicable conditions and clinical applications. The prospective case study analysis method was used to evaluate application of the guideline, including evaluation of clinical application compliance and application results(such as clinical effects, safety and economy). There were two parts in the guideline, which were TCM guideline and Western medicine guideline. The results of applicability evaluation showed that there were no obvious differences between TCM guideline and Western medicine guideline in doctor's familiarity with guideline(85.43%, 84.57%) and the use of the guideline(52.10%, 54.47%); the guidelines with good quality, and higher scores in the scope of application and the use of the term rationality(91.94%, 93.35%); the rationality scores of relevant contents in syndrome differentiation and treatment were more than 75%; the applicable conditions were better, and the safety score was the the highest. The comprehensive applicability evaluation showed that the proportion of the application of TCM guideline and Western medicine guideline were 77.73%, 75.46%, respectively. The results of application evaluation showed that there was high degree coincidence between the guideline with its clinical application; except for "other treatment" and "recuperation and prevention" in TCM, other items got high scores which were more than 90%; in the evaluation of application effects, safety of the guideline was best, economy of the guideline was better, and clincal effect was good. The comprehensive application evaluation showed that 75%~80% doctors were satisfied with the guideline. The Guidelines for Diagnosis and Treatment of Internal Diseases in Traditional Chinese Medicine has been widely used in clinical practice, which is of high quality, high degree of clinical application,good safety and economy. But there were some disadvantages of the guideline such as lack of evidence-based medicine and innovation, which is need to be improved constantly in the guideline revision. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

Current challenges in adherence to clinical guidelines for antibiotic prophylaxis in surgery.

PubMed

Khan, Sohail Ahmad; Rodrigues, Gabrial; Kumar, Pramod; Rao, Padma G M

2006-06-01

To study the impact of guidelines on surgical antibiotic prophylaxis in clinical practice, barriers involved in adherence to guidelines and how to overcome the same. Literature pertaining to prophylactic antibiotic usage was searched. Medscape, Medline, Cochrane, Surgical Infection Prevention (SIP) project databases were reviewed. Recent articles from relevant journals, texts, and standard guidelines were also studied. Local guidelines seem more likely to be accepted and followed than those developed nationally. Major barriers involved in adherence to guidelines include lack of awareness about the guidelines, general perception of guideline as a bureaucratic rather than educational tool. Some practitioners perceive guidelines as "cookbook medicine" that does not permit them to make their own medical decisions. Other barriers are complex, multi-step systems that create confusion, decrease accountability. Methods for guideline adherence include surveillance and data analysis, new systems to facilitate documentation and improving workflow, education regarding current evidence-based guidelines and promoting the development of local guidelines or protocol, development and implementation of reminders to facilitate adherence to the local guidelines. A multidisciplinary steering team of surgeons, infectious disease specialists, pharmacists, anesthesiologists, microbiologists and nurses should develop local guidelines suitable to their institution and methods for adherence to prevent the surgical site infections. The gap between evidence-based guidelines and practice must be addressed in order to achieve optimal practice in this domain.

Guidelines for Guidelines: Are They Up to the Task? A Comparative Assessment of Clinical Practice Guideline Development Handbooks

PubMed Central

Ansari, Shabnam; Rashidian, Arash

2012-01-01

Objectives We conducted a comparative review of clinical practice guideline development handbooks. We aimed to identify the main guideline development tasks, assign weights to the importance of each task using expert opinions and identify the handbooks that provided a comprehensive coverage of the tasks. Methods We systematically searched and included handbooks published (in English language) by national, international or professional bodies responsible for evidenced-based guideline development. We reviewed the handbooks to identify the main guideline development tasks and scored each handbook for each task from 0 (the handbook did not mention the task) to 2 (the task suitably addressed and explained), and calculated a weighted score for each handbook. The tasks included in over 75% of the handbooks were considered as ‘necessary’ tasks. Result Nineteen guideline development handbooks and twenty seven main tasks were identified. The guideline handbooks’ weighted scores ranged from 100 to 220. Four handbooks scored over 80% of the maximum possible score, developed by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, Swiss Centre for International Health, Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network and World Health Organization. Necessary tasks were: selecting the guideline topic, determining the guideline scope, identifying relevant existing guidelines, involving the consumers, forming guideline development group,, developing clinical questions, systematic search for evidence, selecting relevant evidence, appraising identifies research evidence, making group decision, grading available evidence, creating recommendations, final stakeholder consultation, guideline implementation strategies, updating recommendations and correcting potential errors. Discussion Adequate details for evidence based development of guidelines were still lacking from many handbooks. The tasks relevant to ethical issues and piloting were missing in most handbooks. The findings help decision makers in identifying the necessary tasks for guideline development, provide an updated comparative list of guideline development handbooks, and provide a checklist to assess the comprehensiveness of guideline development processes. PMID:23189167

A systematic review and appraisal of the quality of practice guidelines for the management of Neisseria gonorrhoeae infections.

PubMed

Dickson, Catherine; Arnason, Trevor; Friedman, Dara Spatz; Metz, Gila; Grimshaw, Jeremy M

2017-11-01

Clinical guidelines help ensure consistent care informed by current evidence. As shifts in antimicrobial resistance continue to influence first-line treatment, up-to-date guidelines are important for preventing treatment failure. A guideline's development process will influence its recommendations and users' trust. To assess the quality of current gonorrhoea guidelines' development processes. Multiple databases. Original and current English-language guidelines targeting health professionals and containing treatment recommendations for uncomplicated gonorrhoea in the general adult population. Two appraisers assessed the guidelines independently using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II (AGREE II) tool. Scores were combined as per the AGREE II users' manual. We identified 10 guidelines meeting the inclusion criteria. The quality of the gonorrhoea treatment guidelines varied. Most scored poorly on Rigour of Development ; information on the evidence review process and methods for formulating recommendations was often missing. The WHO Guidelines for the Treatment of Neisseria gonorrhoeae and UK National Guideline for the Management of Gonorrhoea in Adults scored the highest on Rigour of Development . Methods to address conflicts of interest were often not described in the materials reviewed. Implementation of recommendations was often not addressed. By limiting our study to English-language guidelines, a small number of guidelines we identified were excluded. Our analysis was limited to either published or online materials that were readily available to users. We could not differentiate between items addressed in the development process but not documented from items that were not addressed. Gonorrhoea treatment guidelines may slow antimicrobial resistance. Many current guidelines are not in line with the current guideline development best practices; this might undermine the perceived trustworthiness of guidelines. By identifying current limitations, this study can help improve the quality of future guidelines. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Quality of clinical practice guidelines in delirium: a systematic appraisal

PubMed Central

Marchington, Katie L; Agar, Meera; Davis, Daniel H J; Sikora, Lindsey; Tsang, Tammy W Y

2017-01-01

Objective To determine the accessibility and currency of delirium guidelines, guideline summary papers and evaluation studies, and critically appraise guideline quality. Design Systematic literature search for formal guidelines (in English or French) with focus on delirium assessment and/or management in adults (≥18 years), guideline summary papers and evaluation studies. Full appraisal of delirium guidelines published between 2008 and 2013 and obtaining a ‘Rigour of Development’ domain screening score cut-off of >40% using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE II) instrument. Data sources Multiple bibliographic databases, guideline organisation databases, complemented by a grey literature search. Results 3327 database citations and 83 grey literature links were identified. A total of 118 retrieved delirium guidelines and related documents underwent full-text screening. A final 21 delirium guidelines (with 10 being >5 years old), 12 guideline summary papers and 3 evaluation studies were included. For 11 delirium guidelines published between 2008 and 2013, the screening AGREE II ‘Rigour’ scores ranged from 3% to 91%, with seven meeting the cut-off score of >40%. Overall, the highest rating AGREE II domains were ‘Scope and Purpose’ (mean 80.1%, range 64–100%) and ‘Clarity and Presentation’ (mean 76.7%, range 38–97%). The lowest rating domains were ‘Applicability’ (mean 48.7%, range 8–81%) and ‘Editorial Independence’ (mean 53%, range 2–90%). The three highest rating guidelines in the ‘Applicability’ domain incorporated monitoring criteria or audit and costing templates, and/or implementation strategies. Conclusions Delirium guidelines are best sourced by a systematic grey literature search. Delirium guideline quality varied across all six AGREE II domains, demonstrating the importance of using a formal appraisal tool prior to guideline adaptation and implementation into clinical settings. Adding more knowledge translation resources to guidelines may improve their practical application and effective monitoring. More delirium guideline evaluation studies are needed to determine their effect on clinical practice. PMID:28283488

Guideline.gov: A Database of Clinical Specialty Guidelines.

PubMed

El-Khayat, Yamila M; Forbes, Carrie S; Coghill, Jeffrey G

2017-01-01

The National Guidelines Clearinghouse (NGC), also known as Guideline.gov, is a database of resources to assist health care providers with a central depository of guidelines for clinical specialty areas in medicine. The database is provided free of charge and is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The guidelines for treatment are updated regularly, with new guidelines replacing older guidelines every five years. There are hundreds of current guidelines with more added each week. The purpose and goal of NGC is to provide physicians, nurses, and other health care providers, insurance companies, and others in the field of health care with a unified database of the most current, detailed, relevant, and objective clinical practice guidelines.

Guidelines in the Register of the Association of Scientific Medical Societies in Germany – A Quality Improvement Campaign

PubMed Central

Nothacker, M. J.; Muche-Borowski, C.; Kopp, I. B.

2014-01-01

The Association of Scientific Medical Societies in Germany (AWMF) is the umbrella organization of medical scientific societies in Germany. The development of guidelines goes back to an initiative of the medical scientific societies and is coordinated by the AWMF. Rules for the inclusion of guidelines in the AWMF Guideline Register have been defined including how guidelines are classified. S1 guidelines are based only on recommendations by experts, whereas S2 guidelines require a structured consensus process or a systematic literature review. S3 guidelines include both elements. In addition to compulsory disclosure of any potential conflict of interest, transparent handling of potential conflicts of interest is an important confidence-building measure. For years, the trend has been to develop higher order (S2/S3) guidelines, and the German Society for Gynecology and Obstetrics (DGGG) has been no exception to the trend. In addition to its responsibility for specific S2 and S3 guidelines, the DGGG is also involved in numerous other interdisciplinary guidelines. When developing a guideline, it is essential to define the guidelineʼs scope, identify aspects which require improvement and agree on the goals. Target groups affected by the guidelines should be involved if they are interested. Different formats (long and short versions, practical instructions, conventional or electronic decision aids, patient versions) are useful to disseminate the guideline. The guideline can be adapted to local circumstances to encourage implementation of its recommendations. Implementation can be measured using quality indicators. Feedback from practitioners is important as this highlights areas which require improvement. The medical scientific societies in Germany can look back on almost two decades of work spent on developing guidelines, most of it done by unpaid voluntary contributors, making this a very successful quality initiative. PMID:25061235

Barriers to adherence to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease guidelines by primary care physicians

PubMed Central

Salinas, Gregory D; Williamson, James C; Kalhan, Ravi; Thomashow, Byron; Scheckermann, Jodi L; Walsh, John; Abdolrasulnia, Maziar; Foster, Jill A

2011-01-01

Purpose: Even with the dissemination of several clinical guidelines, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) remains underdiagnosed and mismanaged by many primary care physicians (PCPs). The objective of this study was to elucidate barriers to consistent implementation of COPD guidelines. Patients and methods: A cross-sectional study implemented in July 2008 was designed to assess attitudes and barriers to COPD guideline usage. Results: Five hundred US PCPs (309 family medicine physicians, 191 internists) were included in the analysis. Overall, 23.6% of the surveyed PCPs reported adherence to spirometry guidelines over 90% of the time; 25.8% reported adherence to guidelines related to long-acting bronchodilator (LABD) use in COPD patients. In general, physicians were only somewhat familiar with COPD guidelines, and internal medicine physicians were significantly more familiar than family physicians (P < 0.05). In a multivariate model controlling for demographics and barriers to guideline adherence, we found significant associations with two tested guideline components. Adherence to spirometry guidelines was associated with agreement with guidelines, confidence in interpreting data, ambivalence to outcome expectancy, and ability to incorporate spirometry into patient flow. Adherence to LABD therapy guidelines was associated with agreement with guidelines and confidence in gauging pharmacologic response. Conclusions: Adherence to guideline recommendations of spirometry use was predicted by agreement with the recommendations, self-efficacy, perceived outcome expectancy if recommendations were adhered to, and resource availability. Adherence to recommendations of LABD use was predicted by agreement with guideline recommendations and self-efficacy. Increasing guideline familiarity alone may have limited patient outcomes, as other barriers, such as low confidence and outcome expectancy, are more likely to impact guideline adherence. PMID:21468169

An international comparison of occupational health guidelines for the management of mental disorders and stress-related psychological symptoms.

PubMed

Joosen, Margot C W; Brouwers, Evelien P M; van Beurden, Karlijn M; Terluin, Berend; Ruotsalainen, Jani H; Woo, Jong-Min; Choi, Kyeong-Sook; Eguchi, Hisashi; Moriguchi, Jiro; van der Klink, Jac J L; van Weeghel, Jaap

2015-05-01

We compared available guidelines on the management of mental disorders and stress-related psychological symptoms in an occupational healthcare setting and determined their development and reporting quality. To identify eligible guidelines, we systematically searched National Guideline Clearinghouse, Guidelines International Network Library and PubMed. Members of the International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH), were also consulted. Guidelines recommendations were compared and reporting quality was assessed using the AGREE II instrument. Of 2126 titles retrieved, 14 guidelines were included: 1 Japanese, 2 Finnish, 2 Korean, 2 British and 7 Dutch. Four guidelines were of high-reporting quality. Best described was the Scope and Purpose, and the poorest described were competing interests (Editorial independence) and barriers and facilitators for implementation (Applicability). Key recommendations were often difficult to identify. Most guidelines recommend employing an inventory of symptoms, diagnostic classification, performance problems and workplace factors. All guidelines recommend specific return-to-work interventions, and most agreed on psychological treatment and communication between involved stakeholders. Practice guidelines to address work disability due to mental disorders and stress-related symptoms are available in various countries around the world, however, these guidelines are difficult to find. To promote sharing, national guidelines should be accessible via established international databases. The quality of the guideline's developmental process varied considerably. To increase quality and applicability, guideline developers should adopt a common structure for the development and reporting of their guidelines, for example Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE) criteria. Owing to differences in social systems, developers can learn from each other through reviews of this kind. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Comparison of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association and the European Society of Cardiology guidelines for the management of patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndromes.

PubMed

Alame, Aya J; Karatasakis, Aris; Karacsonyi, Judit; Danek, Barbara A; Resendes, Erica; Martinez Parachini, Jose R; Kalsaria, Pratik; Roesle, Michele; Rangan, Bavana V; Sorajja, Paul; Jneid, Hani; Banerjee, Subhash; Brilakis, Emmanouil S

2017-06-01

The American College of Cardiology (ACC), the American Heart Association (AHA), and the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) have been developing guidelines to assist clinicians in making evidence-based decisions. The current ACC/AHA and ESC guidelines for non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndromes (NSTE-ACS) that were updated in 2014 and 2015, respectively, were compared to assess the number of recommendations on the basis of class of recommendation and level of evidence (LOE), the sources cited, and the content. The total number of recommendations in the ACC/AHA and ESC guidelines was 182 and 147, respectively. The recommendation class distribution of the ACC/AHA guidelines was 61.0% class I (compared with 61.9% in the ESC guidelines, P=0.865), 29.7% class II (compared with 32.0% in the ESC guidelines, P=0.653), and 9.3% class III (compared with 6.1% in the ESC guidelines, P=0.282). The LOE distribution among ACC/AHA guidelines was 15.9% LOE A (compared with 27.9% in the ESC guidelines, P=0.008), 50.0% LOE B (compared with 33.3% in the ESC guidelines, P=0.002), and 34.1% LOE C (compared with 38.8% in the ESC guidelines, P=0.377). The ACC/AHA guidelines cited 827 publications and the ESC guidelines cited 551 publications, 124 of which were shared by both sets of guidelines. The guidelines' approaches to NSTE-ACS were consistent, with minor differences in diagnostic and medical therapy recommendations. Overall, the ACC/AHA and ESC guidelines contain a comparable number of recommendations and provide similar guidance for the management of patients with NSTE-ACS.

Reporting and publishing guidelines: article 12 in Integrating and coordinating efforts in COPD guideline development. An official ATS/ERS workshop report.

PubMed

Wilson, Kevin C; Irwin, Richard S; File, Thomas M; Schünemann, Holger J; Guyatt, Gordon H; Rabe, Klaus F

2012-12-01

Professional societies, like many other organizations around the world, have recognized the need to use rigorous processes to ensure that health care recommendations are informed by the best available research evidence. This is the twelfth of a series of 14 articles that were prepared to advise guideline developers in respiratory and other diseases. This article discusses the reporting and publishing of guidelines. The authors formulated and discussed the following questions on the reporting and publishing of guidelines. (1) What should be reported in guidelines? (2) How should guidelines be written? (3) How should the bottom-line message be conveyed? (4) How should guidelines be packaged? (5) Where should guidelines be published? (6) Who benefits from the publication of guidelines? (7) What information should be vetted by the editor(s)? (8) How should guidelines be peer reviewed? We conducted a review of the literature, looking for systematic reviews and methodological research that addressed these questions, but we did not conduct a full systematic review. Our conclusions are based on the available evidence from the published literature and logical arguments from experienced guideline developers. There is little empirical evidence that addresses the reporting and publishing of guidelines. A standard format for reporting guidelines is desirable to ensure that guidelines are comprehensive and that all of the information necessary to judge their quality is presented. In addition, guidelines should contain concise evidence-based recommendations. To facilitate the use of guidelines by consumers, it is preferable to publish them in journals that serve the target audience and to package them in multiple ways. Editors and peer reviewers should ensure that reporting standards have been met, potential conflicts of interest have been adequately addressed and made public, and that the recommendations address important clinical questions.

Laboratory assays evaluate the influence of physical guidelines on subterranean termite (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) tunneling, bait discovery, and consumption.

PubMed

Swoboda, L E; Miller, D M

2004-08-01

Laboratory assays were conducted to determine whether physical guidelines could direct subterranean termite foraging behavior. Several materials (wood, plastics, and wood thermoplastic composites) were evaluated for their potential to serve as termite guidelines. Termite tunneling along the different types of guidelines was measured. The proportion of baits discovered when connected by a guideline was compared with the proportion of unconnected baits discovered. Termite consumption of baits also was quantified. Assay results indicated that the termites did not respond to all guideline materials in the same way. Termites built significantly longer tunnels along wood guidelines than they did along any of the plastic guidelines tested. However, tunnel length along the wood and the wood thermoplastic composites was not significantly different. The probability of two baits being discovered when they were connected by wood guidelines was significantly greater than when the baits were connected by plastic guidelines or left unconnected (no guideline). Pairs of baits connected by wood thermoplastic composites were also significantly more likely to be discovered than unconnected baits. Bait consumption was not enhanced by the presence of the guidelines. It is likely that guidelines made of wood competed with the baits as a termite food resource.

Barriers to physician adherence to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug guidelines: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Cavazos, J M; Naik, A D; Woofter, A; Abraham, N S

2008-09-15

Despite wide availability of physician guidelines for safer use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and widespread use of these drugs in the US, NSAID prescribing guidelines have been only modestly effective. To identify and describe comprehensively barriers to provider adherence to NSAID prescribing guidelines. We conducted interviews with 25 physicians, seeking to identify the major influences explaining physician non-adherence to guidelines. Interviews were standardized and structured probes were used for clarification and detail. All interviews were audio-taped and transcribed. Three independent investigators analysed the transcripts, using the constant-comparative method of qualitative analysis. Our analysis identified six dominant physician barriers explaining non-adherence to established NSAID prescribing guidelines. These included (i) lack of familiarity with guidelines, (ii) perceived limited validity of guidelines, (iii) limited applicability of guidelines among specific patients, (iv) clinical inertia, (v) influences of prior anecdotal experiences and (vi) medical heuristics. A heterogeneous set of influences are barriers to physician adherence to NSAID prescribing guidelines. Suggested measures for improving guideline-concordant prescribing should focus on measures to improve physician education and confidence in guidelines, implementation of physician/pharmacist co-management strategies and expansion of guideline scope.

Canadian physicians' attitudes about and preferences regarding clinical practice guidelines

PubMed Central

Hayward, R S; Guyatt, G H; Moore, K A; McKibbon, K A; Carter, A O

1997-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To assess Canadian physicians' confidence in, attitudes about and preferences regarding clinical practice guidelines. DESIGN: Cross-sectional, self-administered mailed survey. PARTICIPANTS: Stratified random sample of 3000 Canadian physicians; 1878 (62.6%) responded. SETTING: Canada. OUTCOME MEASURES: Physicians' use of various information sources; familiarity with and confidence in guidelines; attitudes about guidelines and their effect on medical care; rating of importance of guidelines and other sources of information in clinical decision-making; rating of importance of various considerations in deciding whether to adopt a set of guidelines; and rating of usefulness of different formats for presenting guidelines. MAIN RESULTS: In all, 52% of the respondents reported using guidelines at least monthly, substantially less frequently than traditional information sources. Most of the respondents expressed confidence in guidelines issued by various physician organizations, but 51% to 77% were not confident in guidelines issued by federal or provincial health ministries or by health insurance plans. The respondents were generally positive about guidelines (e.g., over 50% strongly agreed that they are a convenient source of advice and good educational tools); however, 22% to 26% had concerns about loss of autonomy, the rigidity of guidelines and decreased satisfaction with medical practice. Endorsement by respected colleagues or major organizations was identified as very important by 78% and 62% of the respondents respectively in deciding whether to adopt a set of guidelines in their practice. User friendliness of the guidelines format was thought to be very important by 62%; short pamphlets, manuals summarizing a number of guidelines, journal articles and pocket cards summarizing guidelines were the preferred formats (identified as most useful by 50% to 62% of the respondents). CONCLUSIONS: Canadian physicians, although generally positive about guidelines and confident in those developed by clinicians, have not yet integrated the use of guidelines into their practices to a large extent. Our results suggest that respected organizations and opinion leaders should be involved in the development of guidelines and that the acceptability of any proposed format and medium for guidelines presentation should be pretested. PMID:9220923

Methodological Quality of Consensus Guidelines in Implant Dentistry.

PubMed

Faggion, Clovis Mariano; Apaza, Karol; Ariza-Fritas, Tania; Málaga, Lilian; Giannakopoulos, Nikolaos Nikitas; Alarcón, Marco Antonio

2017-01-01

Consensus guidelines are useful to improve clinical decision making. Therefore, the methodological evaluation of these guidelines is of paramount importance. Low quality information may guide to inadequate or harmful clinical decisions. To evaluate the methodological quality of consensus guidelines published in implant dentistry using a validated methodological instrument. The six implant dentistry journals with impact factors were scrutinised for consensus guidelines related to implant dentistry. Two assessors independently selected consensus guidelines, and four assessors independently evaluated their methodological quality using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research & Evaluation (AGREE) II instrument. Disagreements in the selection and evaluation of guidelines were resolved by consensus. First, the consensus guidelines were analysed alone. Then, systematic reviews conducted to support the guidelines were included in the analysis. Non-parametric statistics for dependent variables (Wilcoxon signed rank test) was used to compare both groups. Of 258 initially retrieved articles, 27 consensus guidelines were selected. Median scores in four domains (applicability, rigour of development, stakeholder involvement, and editorial independence), expressed as percentages of maximum possible domain scores, were below 50% (median, 26%, 30.70%, 41.70%, and 41.70%, respectively). The consensus guidelines and consensus guidelines + systematic reviews data sets could be compared for 19 guidelines, and the results showed significant improvements in all domain scores (p < 0.05). Methodological improvement of consensus guidelines published in major implant dentistry journals is needed. The findings of the present study may help researchers to better develop consensus guidelines in implant dentistry, which will improve the quality and trust of information needed to make proper clinical decisions.

Methodological Quality of Consensus Guidelines in Implant Dentistry

PubMed Central

Faggion, Clovis Mariano; Apaza, Karol; Ariza-Fritas, Tania; Málaga, Lilian; Giannakopoulos, Nikolaos Nikitas; Alarcón, Marco Antonio

2017-01-01

Background Consensus guidelines are useful to improve clinical decision making. Therefore, the methodological evaluation of these guidelines is of paramount importance. Low quality information may guide to inadequate or harmful clinical decisions. Objective To evaluate the methodological quality of consensus guidelines published in implant dentistry using a validated methodological instrument. Methods The six implant dentistry journals with impact factors were scrutinised for consensus guidelines related to implant dentistry. Two assessors independently selected consensus guidelines, and four assessors independently evaluated their methodological quality using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research & Evaluation (AGREE) II instrument. Disagreements in the selection and evaluation of guidelines were resolved by consensus. First, the consensus guidelines were analysed alone. Then, systematic reviews conducted to support the guidelines were included in the analysis. Non-parametric statistics for dependent variables (Wilcoxon signed rank test) was used to compare both groups. Results Of 258 initially retrieved articles, 27 consensus guidelines were selected. Median scores in four domains (applicability, rigour of development, stakeholder involvement, and editorial independence), expressed as percentages of maximum possible domain scores, were below 50% (median, 26%, 30.70%, 41.70%, and 41.70%, respectively). The consensus guidelines and consensus guidelines + systematic reviews data sets could be compared for 19 guidelines, and the results showed significant improvements in all domain scores (p < 0.05). Conclusions Methodological improvement of consensus guidelines published in major implant dentistry journals is needed. The findings of the present study may help researchers to better develop consensus guidelines in implant dentistry, which will improve the quality and trust of information needed to make proper clinical decisions. PMID:28107405

Contributors to primary care guidelines: What are their professions and how many of them have conflicts of interest?

PubMed

Allan, G Michael; Kraut, Roni; Crawshay, Aven; Korownyk, Christina; Vandermeer, Ben; Kolber, Michael R

2015-01-01

To determine the professions of those who contribute to guidelines, guideline variables associated with differing contributor participation, and whether conflict of interest statements are provided in primary care guidelines. Retrospective analysis of the primary care guidelines from the Canadian Medical Association website. Two independent data extractors reviewed the guidelines and extracted relevant data. Canada. Sponsors of guidelines, jurisdiction (national or provincial) of guidelines, the professions of those who contribute to guidelines, and the reported conflict of interest statements within guidelines. Of the 296 guidelines in the family medicine section of the CMA Infobase, 65 were duplicates and 35 had limited relevance to family medicine. Twenty did not provide contributor information, leaving 176 guidelines for analysis. In total, there were 2495 contributors (authors and committee members): 1343 (53.8%) non-family physician specialists, 423 (17.0%) family physicians, 141 (5.7%) nurses, 75 (3.0%) pharmacists, 269 (10.8%) other clinicians, 203 (8.1%) nonclinician scientists, and 41 (1.6%) unknown professions. The proportion of contributors from the various professions differed significantly between provincial and national guidelines, as well as between industry-funded and non-industry-funded guidelines (both P < .001). For provincial guidelines, 30.8% of contributors were family physicians and 37.3% were other specialists compared with 13.9% and 57.4%, respectively, for national guidelines. Of industry-funded guidelines, 7.8% of contributors were family physicians and 68.6% were other specialists compared with 19.4% and 49.9%, respectively, for non-industry-funded guidelines. Conflicts of interest were not reported in 68.9% of guidelines. When reported, conflict of interest statements were present for 48.6% of non-family physician specialists, 30.0% of pharmacists, 27.7% of family physicians, and 10.0% or less of the remaining groups; differences were statistically significant (P < .001). Non-family physician specialists outnumber all other health care providers combined and are more than 3 times more likely to contribute to primary care guidelines than family physicians are. Conflict of interest statements were provided in the minority of guidelines, and for guidelines in which conflict of interest statements were included, non-family physician specialists were most likely to report them. Guidelines targeted to primary care should have much more primary care and family medicine representation and include fewer contributors who have conflicts of interest. Copyright© the College of Family Physicians of Canada.

76 FR 60017 - Technical Conference on Penalty Guidelines; Notice of Technical Conference on Penalty Guidelines

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-28

... Conference on Penalty Guidelines; Notice of Technical Conference on Penalty Guidelines The staff of the... the Penalty Guidelines, which the Commission issued on September 17, 2010.\\1\\ The conference will be... impact of the Penalty Guidelines on compliance and enforcement matters. More information on the topics to...

Representation primitives, process models and patient data in computer-interpretable clinical practice guidelines: a literature review of guideline representation models.

PubMed

Wang, Dongwen; Peleg, Mor; Tu, Samson W; Boxwala, Aziz A; Greenes, Robert A; Patel, Vimla L; Shortliffe, Edward H

2002-12-18

Representation of clinical practice guidelines in a computer-interpretable format is a critical issue for guideline development, implementation, and evaluation. We studied 11 types of guideline representation models that can be used to encode guidelines in computer-interpretable formats. We have consistently found in all reviewed models that primitives for representation of actions and decisions are necessary components of a guideline representation model. Patient states and execution states are important concepts that closely relate to each other. Scheduling constraints on representation primitives can be modeled as sequences, concurrences, alternatives, and loops in a guideline's application process. Nesting of guidelines provides multiple views to a guideline with different granularities. Integration of guidelines with electronic medical records can be facilitated by the introduction of a formal model for patient data. Data collection, decision, patient state, and intervention constitute four basic types of primitives in a guideline's logic flow. Decisions clarify our understanding on a patient's clinical state, while interventions lead to the change from one patient state to another.

Assessing Clinical Microbiology Practice Guidelines: American Society for Microbiology Ad Hoc Committee on Evidence-Based Laboratory Medicine Practice Guidelines Assessment

PubMed Central

Kirn, Thomas J.; Westblade, Lars F.; Humphries, Romney

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT As part of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) Evidence-Based Laboratory Medicine Practice Guidelines Committee of the Professional Practice Committee, an ad hoc committee was formed in 2014 to assess guidelines published by the committee using an assessment tool, Appraisal of Guidelines for Research Evaluation II (AGREE II). The AGREE II assessment helps reviewers determine whether published guidelines are robust, transparent, and clear in presenting practice recommendations in a standardized manner. Identifying strengths and weaknesses of practice guidelines by ad hoc assessments helps with improving future guidelines through the participation of key stakeholders. This minireview describes the development of the ad hoc committee and results from their review of several ASM best practices guidelines and a non-ASM practice guideline from the Emergency Nurses Association. PMID:28835476

Evaluating the uptake of Canada's new physical activity and sedentary behavior guidelines on service organizations' websites.

PubMed

Gainforth, Heather L; Berry, Tanya; Faulkner, Guy; Rhodes, Ryan E; Spence, John C; Tremblay, Mark S; Latimer-Cheung, Amy E

2013-06-01

New evidence-based physical activity and sedentary behavior guidelines for Canadians were launched in 2011. As a consequence, service organizations that promote physical activity directly to the public needed to change their promotion materials to reflect the new guidelines. Little is known about the rate at which service organizations adopt and integrate new evidence-based guidelines and determinants of guideline adoption. In this natural observational study, we evaluated the rate of online adoption of the new guidelines among key service organizations that promote physical activity and examined participation in a booster webinar as a supplemental dissemination strategy. One hundred fifty nine service organization websites were coded by one of six raters prior to the release of the new guidelines as well as at 3, 6, and 9 months after the release. Online adoption of the guidelines increased during the coding period with 51 % of organizations posting the guidelines or related information on their websites. Organizations' engagement in a webinar was associated with their adoption of the guidelines. The release of new Canadian Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines led to increased guideline adoption on service organizations' websites. However, adoption was not universal. In order for the uptake of the new guidelines to be successful, further efforts need to be taken to ensure that service organizations present physical activity guidelines on their websites. Comprehensive, active dissemination strategies tailored to address organizational barriers are needed to ensure online guideline adoption.

Quality and reporting of guidelines on the diagnosis and management of dystonia.

PubMed

Tamás, G; Abrantes, C; Valadas, A; Radics, P; Albanese, A; Tijssen, M A J; Ferreira, J J

2018-02-01

The quality of clinical practice guidelines on dystonia has not yet been assessed. Our aim was to appraise the methodological quality of guidelines worldwide and to analyze the consistency of their recommendations. We searched for clinical practice guidelines on dystonia diagnosis/treatment in the National Guideline Clearinghouse, PubMed, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, Guidelines International Network and Web of Science databases. We also searched for guidelines on homepages of international neurological societies. We asked for guidelines from every Management Committee member of the BM1101 Action of the Cooperation between Science and Technology European framework and every member of the International Parkinson and Movement Disorders Society with special interest in dystonia. Fifteen guidelines were evaluated. Among guidelines on treatment, only one from the American Academy of Neurology could be considered as high quality. Among guidelines on diagnosis and therapy, the guideline from the European Federation of Neurological Societies was recommended by the appraisers. Clinical applicability and reports of editorial independence were the greatest shortcomings. The rigor of development was poor and stakeholder involvement was also incomplete in most guidelines. Discrepancies among recommendations may result from the weight given to consensus statements and expert opinions due to the lack of evidence, as well as inaccuracy of disease classification. The quality of appraised guidelines was low. It is necessary to improve the quality of guidelines on dystonia, and the applied terminology of dystonia also needs to be standardized. © 2017 EAN.

International Variation in Asthma and Bronchiolitis Guidelines.

PubMed

Bakel, Leigh Anne; Hamid, Jemila; Ewusie, Joycelyne; Liu, Kai; Mussa, Joseph; Straus, Sharon; Parkin, Patricia; Cohen, Eyal

2017-11-01

Guideline recommendations for the same clinical condition may vary. The purpose of this study was to determine the degree of agreement among comparable asthma and bronchiolitis treatment recommendations from guidelines. National and international guidelines were searched by using guideline databases (eg, National Guidelines Clearinghouse: December 16-17, 2014, and January 9, 2015). Guideline recommendations were categorized as (1) recommend, (2) optionally recommend, (3) abstain from recommending, (4) recommend against a treatment, and (5) not addressed by the guideline. The degree of agreement between recommendations was evaluated by using an unweighted and weighted κ score. Pairwise comparisons of the guidelines were evaluated similarly. There were 7 guidelines for asthma and 4 guidelines for bronchiolitis. For asthma, there were 166 recommendation topics, with 69 recommendation topics given in ≥2 guidelines. For bronchiolitis, there were 46 recommendation topics, with 21 recommendation topics provided in ≥2 guidelines. The overall κ for asthma was 0.03, both unweighted (95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.01 to 0.07) and weighted (95% CI: -0.01 to 0.10); for bronchiolitis, it was 0.32 unweighted (95% CI: 0.16 to 0.52) and 0.15 weighted (95% CI: -0.01 to 0.5). Less agreement was found in national and international guidelines for asthma than for bronchiolitis. Additional studies are needed to determine if differences are based on patient preferences and values and economic considerations or if other recommendation-level, guideline-level, and condition-level factors are driving these differences. Copyright © 2017 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Characteristics of communication guidelines that facilitate or impede guideline use: a focus group study

PubMed Central

Veldhuijzen, Wemke; Ram, Paul M; van der Weijden, Trudy; Niemantsverdriet, Susan; van der Vleuten, Cees PM

2007-01-01

Background The quality of doctor-patient communication has a major impact on the quality of medical care. Communication guidelines define best practices for doctor patient communication and are therefore an important tool for improving communication. However, adherence to communication guidelines remains low, despite doctors participating in intensive communication skill training. Implementation research shows that adherence is higher for guidelines in general that are user centred and feasible, which implies that they are consistent with users' opinions, tap into users' existing skills and fit into existing routines. Developers of communication guidelines seem to have been somewhat negligent with regard to user preferences and guideline feasibility. In order to promote the development of user centred and practicable communication guidelines, we elicited user preferences and identified which guideline characteristics facilitate or impede guideline use. Methods Seven focus group interviews were conducted with experienced GPs, communication trainers (GPs and behavioural scientists) and communication learners (GP trainees and medical students) and three focus group interviews with groups of GP trainees only. All interviews were transcribed and analysed qualitatively. Results The participants identified more impeding guideline characteristics than facilitating ones. The most important impeding characteristic was that guidelines do not easily fit into GPs' day-to-day practice. This is due to rigidity and inefficiency of communication guidelines and erroneous assumptions underpinning guideline development. The most important facilitating characteristic was guideline structure. Guidelines that were structured in distinct phases helped users to remain in control of consultations, which was especially useful in complicated consultations. Conclusion Although communication guidelines are generally considered useful, especially for structuring consultations, their usefulness is impaired by lack of flexibility and applicability to practice routines. User centred and feasible guidelines should combine the advantages of helping doctors to structure consultations with flexibility to tailor communication strategies to specific contexts and situations. PMID:17506878

Addressing implementation challenges during guideline development - a case study of Swedish national guidelines for methods of preventing disease.

PubMed

Richter-Sundberg, Linda; Kardakis, Therese; Weinehall, Lars; Garvare, Rickard; Nyström, Monica E

2015-01-22

Many of the world's life threatening diseases (e.g. cancer, heart disease, stroke) could be prevented by eliminating life-style habits such as tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and excessive alcohol use. Incorporating evidence-based research on methods to change unhealthy lifestyle habits in clinical practice would be equally valuable. However gaps between guideline development and implementation are well documented, with implications for health care quality, safety and effectiveness. The development phase of guidelines has been shown to be important both for the quality in guideline content and for the success of implementation. There are, however, indications that guidelines related to general disease prevention methods encounter specific barriers compared to guidelines that are diagnosis-specific. In 2011 the Swedish National board for Health and Welfare launched guidelines with a preventive scope. The aim of this study was to investigate how implementation challenges were addressed during the development process of these disease preventive guidelines. Seven semi-structured interviews were conducted with members of the guideline development management group. Archival data detailing the guideline development process were also collected and used in the analysis. Qualitative data were analysed using content analysis as the analytical framework. The study identified several strategies and approaches that were used to address implementation challenges during guideline development. Four themes emerged from the analysis: broad agreements and consensus about scope and purpose; a formalized and structured development procedure; systematic and active involvement of stakeholders; and openness and transparency in the specific guideline development procedure. Additional factors concerning the scope of prevention and the work environment of guideline developers were perceived to influence the possibilities to address implementation issues. This case study provides examples of how guideline developers perceive and approach the issue of implementation during the development and early launch of prevention guidelines. Models for guideline development could benefit from an initial assessment of how the guideline topic, its target context and stakeholders will affect the upcoming implementation.

A new independent authority is needed to issue National Health Care guidelines.

PubMed

Keyhani, Salomeh; Kim, Azalea; Mann, Micah; Korenstein, Deborah

2011-02-01

Health experts emphasize that getting doctors to follow clinical guidelines can save both lives and money. Less attention has been paid to how the guidelines are developed and the variability in the recommendations they include. We examined the quality and content of screening guidelines as a proxy for guidelines in general and found that the source of the guidelines affects their quality. Guidelines with inconsistent recommendations are unlikely to serve patients or physicians well. The creation of an independent organization that would work with multiple stakeholders to develop guidelines holds the potential to improve their quality.

[The guideline for the treatment of mood disorders in USA and Japan].

PubMed

Higuchi, T

2001-08-01

Recently, the number of available antidepressants has increased dramatically and psychopharmacological treatment is becoming complex. It is important to present some guideline for supporting clinical decision making. Three different kinds of guideline for the treatment of mood disorders, that is, the APA style guideline, the algorithm and the consensus guideline, have been developed in our country. The APA style guideline and the algorithm are basically evidence based and the consensus guideline is developed through the consensus panel format. These guidelines should be used as 'a starting point' for specifying decisions that will be modified occasionally.

A review of clinical practice guidelines for lung cancer

PubMed Central

Ball, David; Silvestri, Gerard A.

2013-01-01

Clinical practice guidelines are important evidence-based resources to guide complex clinical decision making. However, it is challenging for health professionals to keep abreast available guidelines and to know how and where to access relevant guidelines. This review examines currently available guidelines for lung cancer published in the English language. Important key features are listed for each identified guideline. The methodology, approaches to dissemination and implementation, and associated resources are summarised. General challenges in the area of guideline development are highlighted. The potential to collaborate more widely across lung cancer guideline developers by sharing literature searches and assessments is discussed. PMID:24163752

Financial Relationships between Organizations That Produce Clinical Practice Guidelines and the Biomedical Industry: A Cross-Sectional Study.

PubMed

Campsall, Paul; Colizza, Kate; Straus, Sharon; Stelfox, Henry T

2016-05-01

Financial relationships between organizations that produce clinical practice guidelines and biomedical companies are vulnerable to conflicts of interest. We sought to determine whether organizations that produce clinical practice guidelines have financial relationships with biomedical companies and whether there are associations between organizations' conflict of interest policies and recommendations and disclosures provided in guidelines. We conducted a cross-sectional survey and review of websites of 95 national/international medical organizations that produced 290 clinical practice guidelines published on the National Guideline Clearinghouse website from January 1 to December 31, 2012. Survey responses were available for 68% (65/95) of organizations (167/290 guidelines, 58%), and websites were reviewed for 100% (95/95) of organizations (290/290 guidelines, 100%). In all, 63% (60/95) of organizations producing clinical practice guidelines reported receiving funds from a biomedical company; 80% (76/95) of organizations reported having a policy for managing conflicts of interest. Disclosure statements (disclosing presence or absence of financial relationships with biomedical companies) were available in 65% (188/290) of clinical practice guidelines for direct funding sources to produce the guideline, 51% (147/290) for financial relationships of the guideline committee members, and 1% (4/290) for financial relationships of the organizations producing the guidelines. Among all guidelines, 6% (18/290) disclosed direct funding by biomedical companies, 40% (117/290) disclosed financial relationships between committee members and biomedical companies (38% of guideline committee members, 773/2,043), and 1% (4/290) disclosed financial relationships between the organizations producing the guidelines and biomedical companies. In the survey responses, 60 organizations reported the procedures that they included in their conflict of interest policies (158 guidelines): guidelines produced by organizations reporting more comprehensive conflict of interest policies (per additional procedure, range 5-17) included fewer positive (rate ratio [RR] 0.91, 95% CI 0.86-0.95) and more negative (RR 1.32, 95% CI 1.09-1.60) recommendations regarding patented biomedical products. The clinical practice guidelines produced by organizations reporting more comprehensive conflict of interest policies were also more likely to include disclosure statements for direct funding sources (odds ratio [OR] 1.31, 95% CI 1.10-1.56) and financial relationships of guideline committee members (OR 1.36, 95% CI 1.09-1.79), but not financial relationships of the organizations (0 disclosures). Limitations of the study include the use of the National Guideline Clearinghouse as the single source of clinical practice guidelines and the self-report of survey responses and organizations' website postings. Financial relationships between organizations that produce clinical practice guidelines and biomedical companies are common and infrequently disclosed in guidelines. Our study highlights the need for an effective policy to manage organizational conflicts of interest and disclosure of financial relationships.

Chiropractic quality assurance: standards and guidelines

PubMed Central

Gatterman, Meridel I; Dobson, Thomas P; LeFevbre, Ron

2001-01-01

Chiropractic quality assurance involves development of both clinical guidelines and standards. Confusion generated by poor differentiation of guidelines from standards contributes to mistrust of the guideline development process. Guidelines are considered to be recommendations that allow for flexibility and individual patient differences. Standards are more binding and require a high level of supporting evidence. While guidelines serve as educational tools to improve the quality of practice, standards that outline minimum competency are used more as administrative tools on which to base policy. Barriers to development of clinical guidelines and standards include fear that they will create prescriptive “cookbook” practice, and the distrust that guidelines are developed primarily for cost containment. Clinicians also criticize guidelines developed by academics that don't relate to practice, and those based on evidence that lacks clinical relevance. Conflicting guidelines perceived to be based on strong bias or conflict of interest are also suspect. To reduce barriers to acceptance and implementation, guidelines should be inclusive, patient-centered, and based on a variety of evidence and clinical experience.

Implementation of study results in guidelines and adherence to guidelines in clinical practice.

PubMed

Waldfahrer, Frank

2016-01-01

Guidelines were introduced in hospital- and practice-based otorhinolaryngology in the 1990ies, and have been undergoing further development ever since. There are currently 20 guidelines on file at the German Society of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head & Neck Surgery. The society has cooperated in further 34 guidelines. The quality of the guidelines has been continuously improved by concrete specifications put forward by the Association of the Scientific Medical Societies in Germany (Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Wissenschaftlichen Medizinischen Fachgesellschaften e.V., AWMF). Since increasing digitalization has made access to scientific publications quicker and simpler, relevant study results can be incorporated in guidelines more easily today than in the analog world. S2e and S3 guidelines must be based on a formal literature search with subsequent evaluation of the evidence. The consensus procedure for S2k guidelines is also regulated. However, the implementation of guidelines in routine medical practice must still be considered inadequate, and there is still a considerable need for improvement in adherence to these guidelines.

Introduction to resuscitation of the newborn infant. ARC and NZRC Guideline 2010.

PubMed

2011-08-01

• Introduction to Resuscitation of the Newborn Infant. ARC and NZRC Guideline 2010 • Planning for Neonatal Resuscitation and Identification of the Newborn Infant at Risk. ARC and NZRC Guideline 2010 • Assessment of the Newborn Infant. ARC and NZRC Guideline 2010 • Airway Management and Mask Ventilation of the Newborn Infant. ARC and NZRC Guideline 2010 • Tracheal Intubation and Ventilation of the Newborn Infant. ARC and NZRC Guideline 2010 • Chest Compressions during Resuscitation of the Newborn Infant. ARC and NZRC Guideline 2010 • Medication or Fluids for the Resuscitation of the Newborn Infant. ARC and NZRC Guideline 2010 • The Resuscitation of the Newborn Infant in Special Circumstances. ARC and NZRC Guideline 2010 • After the Resuscitation of a Newborn Infant. ARC and NZRC Guideline 2010 • Ethical Issues in Resuscitation of the Newborn Infant. ARC and NZRC Guideline 2010. © 2011 The Authors. EMA © 2011 Australasian College for Emergency Medicine and Australasian Society for Emergency Medicine.

Implementation of study results in guidelines and adherence to guidelines in clinical practice

PubMed Central

Waldfahrer, Frank

2016-01-01

Guidelines were introduced in hospital- and practice-based otorhinolaryngology in the 1990ies, and have been undergoing further development ever since. There are currently 20 guidelines on file at the German Society of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head & Neck Surgery. The society has cooperated in further 34 guidelines. The quality of the guidelines has been continuously improved by concrete specifications put forward by the Association of the Scientific Medical Societies in Germany (Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Wissenschaftlichen Medizinischen Fachgesellschaften e.V., AWMF). Since increasing digitalization has made access to scientific publications quicker and simpler, relevant study results can be incorporated in guidelines more easily today than in the analog world. S2e and S3 guidelines must be based on a formal literature search with subsequent evaluation of the evidence. The consensus procedure for S2k guidelines is also regulated. However, the implementation of guidelines in routine medical practice must still be considered inadequate, and there is still a considerable need for improvement in adherence to these guidelines. PMID:28025601

Improving the quality of health care: using international collaboration to inform guideline programmes by founding the Guidelines International Network (G-I-N)*

PubMed Central

Ollenschlager, G; Marshall, C; Qureshi, S; Rosenbrand, K; Burgers, J; Makela, M; Slutsky, J; t for

2004-01-01



 Clinical practice guidelines are regarded as powerful tools to achieve effective health care. Although many countries have built up experience in the development, appraisal, and implementation of guidelines, until recently there has been no established forum for collaboration at an international level. As a result, in different countries seeking similar goals and using similar strategies, efforts have been unnecessarily duplicated and opportunities for harmonisation lost because of the lack of a supporting organisational framework. This triggered a proposal in 2001 for an international guidelines network built on existing partnerships. A baseline survey confirmed a strong demand for such an entity. A multinational group of guideline experts initiated the development of a non-profit organisation aimed at promotion of systematic guideline development and implementation. The Guidelines International Network (G-I-N) was founded in November 2002. One year later the Network released the International Guideline Library, a searchable database which now contains more than 2000 guideline resources including published guidelines, guidelines under development, "guidelines for guidelines", training materials, and patient information tools. By June 2004, 52 organisations from 27 countries had joined the network including institutions from Oceania, North America, and Europe, and WHO. This paper describes the process that led to the foundation of the G-I-N, its characteristics, prime activities, and ideas on future projects and collaboration. PMID:15576708

[Factors influencing the quality of clinical practice guidelines in ovarian cancer].

PubMed

Castillo-Londoño, J S; Medina-Torres, Y A; Sandoval-Salinas, C; Buitrago-Gutierrez, G; Torres-Ibargüen, M Z; Gonzalez-Rangel, A L

To identify the characteristics of the published clinical practice guidelines for the management of epithelial ovarian cancer that suggest a good methodological quality. A literature review was performed on 25 clinical practice guidelines for epithelial ovarian cancer that were identified in different databases (MEDLINE, Guidelines International Network, National Guidelines Clearing house) published between 2007 and 2014. The quality of the guidelines was evaluated using the Appraisal of Guidelines Research and Evaluation II tool. Descriptive and bivariate analyses were performed to assess the association between the quality of the guidelines and of some of their features and their developers. Just under half (48%) of the guidelines were rated as low quality. Scientific societies or independent centres and private funding, or under-reporting the source of funding, were statistically associated with lower quality of clinical practice guidelines (P<.01). The guidelines developed by National Program Guidelines had a median of consistently higher scores in all domains of the Appraisal of Guidelines Research and Evaluation II, with significant differences in the definition of scope and objectives, the participation of stakeholders, the methodological rigour of development, and applicability to the context. Features such as the nature of the developer and funding of the guidelines are predictors of quality that should be taken into account prior to the use of the recommendations of a document. Copyright © 2016 SECA. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Semantic Clinical Guideline Documents

PubMed Central

Eriksson, Henrik; Tu, Samson W.; Musen, Mark

2005-01-01

Decision-support systems based on clinical practice guidelines can support physicians and other health-care personnel in the process of following best practice consistently. A knowledge-based approach to represent guidelines makes it possible to encode computer-interpretable guidelines in a formal manner, perform consistency checks, and use the guidelines directly in decision-support systems. Decision-support authors and guideline users require guidelines in human-readable formats in addition to computer-interpretable ones (e.g., for guideline review and quality assurance). We propose a new document-oriented information architecture that combines knowledge-representation models with electronic and paper documents. The approach integrates decision-support modes with standard document formats to create a combined clinical-guideline model that supports on-line viewing, printing, and decision support. PMID:16779037

A Critical Review of Low Back Pain Guidelines.

PubMed

Chetty, Laran

2017-09-01

Low back pain (LBP) remains one of the most common and challenging musculoskeletal conditions encountered by health care professionals and is a leading cause of absenteeism. Clinical guidelines are often considered best evidence in health care. The aim of this critical review was to assess the quality and recommendations of LBP guidelines using the Appraisal of Guidelines Research and Evaluation (AGREE) instrument. Electronic databases were used to identify LBP guidelines published between 2000 and 2015. Nine guidelines were selected for review from a total of 17. Only five guidelines effectively addressed the AGREE scoring. On the basis of the appraisal and domain scores, only four guidelines were strongly recommended. Improved translation of research evidence from guidelines to clinical practice is needed.

Guidelines for randomized clinical trial protocol content: a systematic review

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background All randomized clinical trials (RCTs) require a protocol; however, numerous studies have highlighted protocol deficiencies. Reporting guidelines may improve the content of research reports and, if developed using robust methods, may increase the utility of reports to stakeholders. The objective of this study was to systematically identify and review RCT protocol guidelines, to assess their characteristics and methods of development, and to compare recommendations. Methods We conducted a systematic review of indexed literature (MEDLINE, EMBASE and the Cochrane Methodology Register from inception to September 2010; reference lists; related article features; forward citation searching) and a targeted search of supplementary sources, including a survey of major trial funding agencies in six countries. Records were eligible if they described a content guideline in English or French relevant to RCT protocols. Guidelines were excluded if they specified content for protocols for trials of specific procedures or conditions or were intended to assess trial quality. We extracted guideline characteristics and methods. Content was mapped for a subset of guidelines that described development methods or had institutional endorsement. Results Forty guidelines published in journals, books and institutional reports were included in the review; seven were specific to RCT protocols. Only eight (20%) described development methods which included informal consensus methods, pilot testing and formal validation; no guideline described all of these methods. No guideline described formal consensus methods or a systematic retrieval of empirical evidence to inform its development. The guidelines included a median of 23 concepts per guideline (interquartile range (IQR) = 14 to 34; range = 7 to 109). Among the subset of guidelines (n = 23) for which content was mapped, approximately 380 concepts were explicitly addressed (median concepts per guideline IQR = 31 (24,80); range = 16 to 150); most concepts were addressed in a minority of guidelines. Conclusions Existing guidelines for RCT protocol content varied substantially in their recommendations. Few reports described the methods of guideline development, limiting comparisons of guideline validity. Given the importance of protocols to diverse stakeholders, we believe a systematically developed, evidence-informed guideline for clinical trial protocols is needed. PMID:23006870

Comparison of international guideline programs to evaluate and update the Dutch program for clinical guideline development in physical therapy

PubMed Central

Van der Wees, Philip J; Hendriks, Erik JM; Custers, Jan WH; Burgers, Jako S; Dekker, Joost; de Bie, Rob A

2007-01-01

Background Clinical guidelines are considered important instruments to improve quality in health care. Since 1998 the Royal Dutch Society for Physical Therapy (KNGF) produced evidence-based clinical guidelines, based on a standardized program. New developments in the field of guideline research raised the need to evaluate and update the KNGF guideline program. Purpose of this study is to compare different guideline development programs and review the KNGF guideline program for physical therapy in the Netherlands, in order to update the program. Method Six international guideline development programs were selected, and the 23 criteria of the AGREE Instrument were used to evaluate the guideline programs. Information about the programs was retrieved from published handbooks of the organizations. Also, the Dutch program for guideline development in physical therapy was evaluated using the AGREE criteria. Further comparison the six guideline programs was carried out using the following elements of the guideline development processes: Structure and organization; Preparation and initiation; Development; Validation; Dissemination and implementation; Evaluation and update. Results Compliance with the AGREE criteria of the guideline programs was high. Four programs addressed 22 AGREE criteria, and two programs addressed 20 AGREE criteria. The previous Dutch program for guideline development in physical therapy lacked in compliance with the AGREE criteria, meeting only 13 criteria. Further comparison showed that all guideline programs perform systematic literature searches to identify the available evidence. Recommendations are formulated and graded, based on evidence and other relevant factors. It is not clear how decisions in the development process are made. In particular, the process of translating evidence into practice recommendations can be improved. Conclusion As a result of international developments and consensus, the described processes for developing clinical practice guidelines have much in common. The AGREE criteria are common basis for the development of guidelines, although it is not clear how final decisions are made. Detailed comparison of the different guideline programs was used for updating the Dutch program. As a result the updated KNGF program complied with 22 AGREE criteria. International discussion is continuing and will be used for further improvement of the program. PMID:18036215

Comparison of international guideline programs to evaluate and update the Dutch program for clinical guideline development in physical therapy.

PubMed

Van der Wees, Philip J; Hendriks, Erik J M; Custers, Jan W H; Burgers, Jako S; Dekker, Joost; de Bie, Rob A

2007-11-23

Clinical guidelines are considered important instruments to improve quality in health care. Since 1998 the Royal Dutch Society for Physical Therapy (KNGF) produced evidence-based clinical guidelines, based on a standardized program. New developments in the field of guideline research raised the need to evaluate and update the KNGF guideline program. Purpose of this study is to compare different guideline development programs and review the KNGF guideline program for physical therapy in the Netherlands, in order to update the program. Six international guideline development programs were selected, and the 23 criteria of the AGREE Instrument were used to evaluate the guideline programs. Information about the programs was retrieved from published handbooks of the organizations. Also, the Dutch program for guideline development in physical therapy was evaluated using the AGREE criteria. Further comparison the six guideline programs was carried out using the following elements of the guideline development processes: Structure and organization; Preparation and initiation; Development; Validation; Dissemination and implementation; Evaluation and update. Compliance with the AGREE criteria of the guideline programs was high. Four programs addressed 22 AGREE criteria, and two programs addressed 20 AGREE criteria. The previous Dutch program for guideline development in physical therapy lacked in compliance with the AGREE criteria, meeting only 13 criteria. Further comparison showed that all guideline programs perform systematic literature searches to identify the available evidence. Recommendations are formulated and graded, based on evidence and other relevant factors. It is not clear how decisions in the development process are made. In particular, the process of translating evidence into practice recommendations can be improved. As a result of international developments and consensus, the described processes for developing clinical practice guidelines have much in common. The AGREE criteria are common basis for the development of guidelines, although it is not clear how final decisions are made. Detailed comparison of the different guideline programs was used for updating the Dutch program. As a result the updated KNGF program complied with 22 AGREE criteria. International discussion is continuing and will be used for further improvement of the program.

Quality of clinical practice guidelines in delirium: a systematic appraisal.

PubMed

Bush, Shirley H; Marchington, Katie L; Agar, Meera; Davis, Daniel H J; Sikora, Lindsey; Tsang, Tammy W Y

2017-03-10

To determine the accessibility and currency of delirium guidelines, guideline summary papers and evaluation studies, and critically appraise guideline quality. Systematic literature search for formal guidelines (in English or French) with focus on delirium assessment and/or management in adults (≥18 years), guideline summary papers and evaluation studies.Full appraisal of delirium guidelines published between 2008 and 2013 and obtaining a 'Rigour of Development' domain screening score cut-off of >40% using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE II) instrument. Multiple bibliographic databases, guideline organisation databases, complemented by a grey literature search. 3327 database citations and 83 grey literature links were identified. A total of 118 retrieved delirium guidelines and related documents underwent full-text screening. A final 21 delirium guidelines (with 10 being >5 years old), 12 guideline summary papers and 3 evaluation studies were included. For 11 delirium guidelines published between 2008 and 2013, the screening AGREE II 'Rigour' scores ranged from 3% to 91%, with seven meeting the cut-off score of >40%. Overall, the highest rating AGREE II domains were 'Scope and Purpose' (mean 80.1%, range 64-100%) and 'Clarity and Presentation' (mean 76.7%, range 38-97%). The lowest rating domains were 'Applicability' (mean 48.7%, range 8-81%) and 'Editorial Independence' (mean 53%, range 2-90%). The three highest rating guidelines in the 'Applicability' domain incorporated monitoring criteria or audit and costing templates, and/or implementation strategies. Delirium guidelines are best sourced by a systematic grey literature search. Delirium guideline quality varied across all six AGREE II domains, demonstrating the importance of using a formal appraisal tool prior to guideline adaptation and implementation into clinical settings. Adding more knowledge translation resources to guidelines may improve their practical application and effective monitoring. More delirium guideline evaluation studies are needed to determine their effect on clinical practice. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Guidelines for randomized clinical trial protocol content: a systematic review.

PubMed

Tetzlaff, Jennifer M; Chan, An-Wen; Kitchen, Jessica; Sampson, Margaret; Tricco, Andrea C; Moher, David

2012-09-24

All randomized clinical trials (RCTs) require a protocol; however, numerous studies have highlighted protocol deficiencies. Reporting guidelines may improve the content of research reports and, if developed using robust methods, may increase the utility of reports to stakeholders. The objective of this study was to systematically identify and review RCT protocol guidelines, to assess their characteristics and methods of development, and to compare recommendations. We conducted a systematic review of indexed literature (MEDLINE, EMBASE and the Cochrane Methodology Register from inception to September 2010; reference lists; related article features; forward citation searching) and a targeted search of supplementary sources, including a survey of major trial funding agencies in six countries. Records were eligible if they described a content guideline in English or French relevant to RCT protocols. Guidelines were excluded if they specified content for protocols for trials of specific procedures or conditions or were intended to assess trial quality. We extracted guideline characteristics and methods. Content was mapped for a subset of guidelines that described development methods or had institutional endorsement. Forty guidelines published in journals, books and institutional reports were included in the review; seven were specific to RCT protocols. Only eight (20%) described development methods which included informal consensus methods, pilot testing and formal validation; no guideline described all of these methods. No guideline described formal consensus methods or a systematic retrieval of empirical evidence to inform its development. The guidelines included a median of 23 concepts per guideline (interquartile range (IQR) = 14 to 34; range = 7 to 109). Among the subset of guidelines (n = 23) for which content was mapped, approximately 380 concepts were explicitly addressed (median concepts per guideline IQR = 31 (24,80); range = 16 to 150); most concepts were addressed in a minority of guidelines. Existing guidelines for RCT protocol content varied substantially in their recommendations. Few reports described the methods of guideline development, limiting comparisons of guideline validity. Given the importance of protocols to diverse stakeholders, we believe a systematically developed, evidence-informed guideline for clinical trial protocols is needed.

Do patients discussed at a lung cancer multidisciplinary team meeting receive guideline-recommended treatment?

PubMed

Boxer, Miriam M; Duggan, Kirsten J; Descallar, Joseph; Vinod, Shalini K

2016-03-01

Clinical guidelines provide evidence-based management recommendations to guide practice. This study aimed to evaluate whether patients discussed at a lung cancer multidisciplinary team meeting received guideline-recommended treatment and determine reasons for not receiving guideline-recommended treatment. All new lung cancer patients discussed at the Liverpool/Macarthur lung cancer multidisciplinary team meeting between 1 December 2005 and 31 December 2010 were included. Guideline-recommended treatment was assigned according to pathology, stage and ECOG (Eastern Co-operative Oncology Group) performance status as per the 2004 Australian Lung Cancer Guidelines. This was compared with actual treatment received to determine adherence to guidelines. For those patients who did not receive guideline-recommended treatment, the medical record was reviewed to determine the reason(s) for this. Survival was compared between those who did and did not receive guideline-recommended treatment. 808 new patients were discussed at the multidisciplinary team meeting. Guideline-recommended treatment could not be assigned in 2% of patients due to missing data. 435 patients (54%) received guideline-recommended treatment, and 356 (44%) did not. The most common reasons for not receiving guideline-recommended treatment were a decline in ECOG performance status (24%), large tumor volume precluding radical radiotherapy (17%), comorbidities (15%) and patient preference (13%). Patients less than 70 years who received guideline-recommended treatment had improved survival compared with those who did not. A significant proportion of lung cancer patients did not receive guideline-recommended treatment due to legitimate reasons. Alternative guidelines are needed for patients not suitable for current best practice. Treatment according to guidelines was a predictor for survival. © 2015 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Rigour of development does not AGREE with recommendations in practice guidelines on the use of ice for acute ankle sprains.

PubMed

Van de Velde, S; Heselmans, A; Donceel, P; Vandekerckhove, P; Ramaekers, D; Aertgeerts, B

2011-09-01

OBJECTIVE This study evaluated whether the Appraisal of Guidelines Research and Evaluation (AGREE) rigour of development score of practice guidelines on ice for acute ankle sprains is related to the convergence between recommendations. DESIGN The authors systematically reviewed guidelines on ice for acute ankle sprains. Four appraisers independently used the AGREE instrument to evaluate the rigour of development of selected guidelines. For each guideline, one reviewer listed the cited evidence on ice and calculated a cited evidence score. The authors plotted the recommended durations and numbers of ice applications over the standardised rigour of development score to explore the relationships. DATA SOURCES Three reviewers searched for guidelines in Medline, Embase, Sportdiscus, PEDro, G-I-N Guideline Library, Trip Database, SumSearch, National Guideline Clearinghouse and the Health Technology Assessment database, and conducted a web-based search for guideline development organisations. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA Eligible guidelines had a development methodology that included a process to search or use results from scientific studies and the participation of an expert group to formulate recommendations. RESULTS The authors identified 21 guidelines, containing clinically significant variations in recommended durations and numbers of ice applications. The median standardised rigour of development score was 57% (IQR 18 to 77). Variations occurred evenly among guidelines with low moderate or high rigour scores. The median evidence citation score in the guidelines was 7% (IQR 0 to 61). CONCLUSIONS There is no relationship between the rigour of development score and the recommendations in guidelines on ice for acute ankle sprains. The guidelines suffered from methodological problems which were not captured by the AGREE instrument.

Guidelines for Physical Activity during Pregnancy: Comparisons From Around the World

PubMed Central

Evenson, Kelly R.; Barakat, Ruben; Brown, Wendy J.; Dargent-Molina, Patricia; Haruna, Megumi; Mikkelsen, Ellen M.; Mottola, Michelle F.; Owe, Katrine M.; Rousham, Emily K.; Yeo, SeonAe

2013-01-01

Introduction Women attain numerous benefits from physical activity during pregnancy. However, due to physical changes that occur during pregnancy, special precautions are also needed. This review summarizes current guidelines for physical activity among pregnant women worldwide. Methods We searched PubMed (MedLINE) for country-specific governmental and clinical guidelines on physical activity during pregnancy through the year 2012. We cross-referenced with articles referring to guidelines, with only the most recent included. An abstraction form was used to extract key details and summarize. Results In total, 11 guidelines were identified from nine countries (Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Japan, Norway, Spain, United Kingdom, United States). Most guidelines supported moderate intensity physical activity during pregnancy (10/11) and indicated specific frequency (9/11) and duration/time (9/11) recommendations. Most guidelines provided advice on initiating an exercise program during pregnancy (10/11). Six guidelines included absolute and relative contraindications to exercise. All guidelines generally ruled-out sports with risks of falls, trauma, or collisions. Six guidelines included indications for stopping exercise during pregnancy. Conclusion This review contrasted pregnancy-related physical activity guidelines from around the world, and can help to inform new guidelines as they are created or updated, and facilitate the development of a worldwide guideline. PMID:25346651

The appraisal of clinical guidelines in dentistry.

PubMed

Glenny, Anne-Marie; Worthington, Helen V; Clarkson, Jan E; Esposito, Marco

2009-01-01

To appraise the reported processes involved in the development of published dental guidelines. Electronic databases were searched to identify guidelines making recommendations for any health professional within dentistry. All included guidelines were appraised using the Appraisal of Guidelines Research and Evaluation (AGREE) instrument. A total of 105 guidelines met the inclusion criteria. The appraised guidelines showed lack of rigour in their development (median score 14.3%; range 0% to 100%). Only 10 (9.5%) were coded as 'strongly recommend' by at least two assessors. If recommendations within clinical guidelines are to be relied upon, the methods used in their development must be explicit and free from bias. When using the AGREE checklist to make decisions on whether or not to implement individual sets of guidelines, the findings of the present assessment reinforce the need for more than two assessors to be included in the appraisal of each set of guidelines.

Development of a South African integrated syndromic respiratory disease guideline for primary care.

PubMed

English, René G; Bateman, Eric D; Zwarenstein, Merrick F; Fairall, Lara R; Bheekie, Angeni; Bachmann, Max O; Majara, Bosielo; Ottmani, Salah-Eddine; Scherpbier, Robert W

2008-09-01

The Practical Approach to Lung Health in South Africa (PALSA) initiative aimed to develop an integrated symptom- and sign-based (syndromic) respiratory disease guideline for nurse care practitioners working in primary care in a developing country. A multidisciplinary team developed the guideline after reviewing local barriers to respiratory health care provision, relevant health care policies, existing respiratory guidelines, and literature. Guideline drafts were evaluated by means of focus group discussions. Existing evidence-based guideline development methodologies were tailored for development of the guideline. A locally-applicable guideline based on syndromic diagnostic algorithms was developed for the management of patients 15 years and older who presented to primary care facilities with cough or difficulty breathing. PALSA has developed a guideline that integrates and presents diagnostic and management recommendations for priority respiratory diseases in adults using a symptom- and sign-based algorithmic guideline for nurses in developing countries.

From evidence to action

PubMed Central

Verheyen, Cees CPM; Kerkhoffs, Gino M; Bhandari, Mohit; Schünemann, Holger J

2009-01-01

ABSTRACT Good guidelines will help us to take evidence into practice. In a survey among Dutch orthopedic surgeons, development and use of evidence-based guidelines was perceived as one of the best ways of moving from opinion-based to evidence-based orthopedic practice. The increasing number of guidelines means that knowing how to make a critical appraisal of guidelines is now a key part of every surgeon’s life. This is particularly true because guidelines use varying systems to judge the quality of evidence and the strength of recommendations. In this manuscript we discuss what a guideline is, where we can find guidelines, how to evaluate the quality of guidelines, and finally provide an example on the different steps of guideline development. Thus, we show that good guidelines are a summary of the best available evidence and that they provide a graded recommendation to help surgeons in evidence-based practice. PMID:19234892

Considerations on the Improved Integration of Medical Guidelines into Routine Clinical Practice – a Review and Concept Proposal

PubMed Central

Beckmann, M. W.; Schlieter, H.; Richter, P.; Wesselmann, S.

2016-01-01

Medical guidelines have become established as the standard for the comprehensive synopsis of all available information (scientific trials, expert opinion) on diagnosis and treatment recommendations. The transfer of guidelines to clinical practice and subsequent monitoring has however proven difficult. In particular the potential interaction between guideline developers and guideline users has not been fully utilised. This review article analyses the status quo and existing methodological and technical information solutions supporting the guideline life cycle. It is shown that there are numerous innovative developments that in isolation do not provide comprehensive support. The vision of the “Living Guidelines 2.0” is therefore presented. This outlines the merging of guideline development and implementation on the basis of clinical pathways and guideline-based quality control, and building on this, the generation of information for guideline development and research. PMID:27134291

Assessing Clinical Microbiology Practice Guidelines: American Society for Microbiology Ad Hoc Committee on Evidence-Based Laboratory Medicine Practice Guidelines Assessment.

PubMed

Nachamkin, Irving; Kirn, Thomas J; Westblade, Lars F; Humphries, Romney

2017-11-01

As part of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) Evidence-Based Laboratory Medicine Practice Guidelines Committee of the Professional Practice Committee, an ad hoc committee was formed in 2014 to assess guidelines published by the committee using an assessment tool, Appraisal of Guidelines for Research Evaluation II (AGREE II). The AGREE II assessment helps reviewers determine whether published guidelines are robust, transparent, and clear in presenting practice recommendations in a standardized manner. Identifying strengths and weaknesses of practice guidelines by ad hoc assessments helps with improving future guidelines through the participation of key stakeholders. This minireview describes the development of the ad hoc committee and results from their review of several ASM best practices guidelines and a non-ASM practice guideline from the Emergency Nurses Association. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

Guideline for primary care management of headache in adults

PubMed Central

Becker, Werner J.; Findlay, Ted; Moga, Carmen; Scott, N. Ann; Harstall, Christa; Taenzer, Paul

2015-01-01

Abstract Objective To increase the use of evidence-informed approaches to diagnosis, investigation, and treatment of headache for patients in primary care. Quality of evidence A comprehensive search was conducted for relevant guidelines and systematic reviews published between January 2000 and May 2011. The guidelines were critically appraised using the AGREE (Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation) tool, and the 6 highest-quality guidelines were used as seed guidelines for the guideline adaptation process. Main message A multidisciplinary guideline development group of primary care providers and other specialists crafted 91 specific recommendations using a consensus process. The recommendations cover diagnosis, investigation, and management of migraine, tension-type, medication-overuse, and cluster headache. Conclusion A clinical practice guideline for the Canadian health care context was created using a guideline adaptation process to assist multidisciplinary primary care practitioners in providing evidence-informed care for patients with headache. PMID:26273080

An evaluation of the objective quality and perceived usefulness of maternity clinical practice guidelines at a tertiary maternity unit.

PubMed

Trollope, Helena; Leung, Joyce Pui Yee; Wise, Michelle; Farquhar, Cynthia; Sadler, Lynn

2018-03-05

Compliance with maternity clinical practice guidelines developed by National Women's Health has been found to be low at audit. To explore the reasons for poor compliance with maternity guidelines by evaluating the quality of a sample of National Women's Health guidelines using a validated instrument and assessing local guideline users' perceptions of and attitudes toward guidelines. Five independent reviewers evaluated the quality of 10 purposively selected guidelines for adherence to the Appraisal of Guidelines Research & Evaluation (AGREE) II instrument standards. A self-administered questionnaire for staff was undertaken regarding views of and barriers to guideline use. None of the guidelines attained a score over 50% for the following domains: stakeholder involvement, rigour of development, applicability, editorial independence. The highest scoring domain was clarity of presentation (mean 69%). All guidelines scored the minimum possible for editorial independence. Survey respondents had positive attitudes toward guidelines, believed that their use could improve quality of care within the service, and felt that encouragement from senior staff members and peers would encourage their use. Accessibility was the most commonly cited of many barriers identified. The National Women's Health guidelines evaluated in this study cannot be considered to be high quality, and could be improved by reporting on methodology of the development process. Although poor guideline development may contribute to failure of the local maternity guidelines, it appears that accessibility is a major barrier to their use and implementation. © 2018 The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

Guidelines on treatment of perinatal depression with antidepressants: An international review

PubMed Central

Kamperman, Astrid M; Boyce, Philip; Bergink, Veerle

2018-01-01

Objective: Several countries have developed Clinical Practice Guidelines regarding treatment of perinatal depressive symptoms and perinatal use of antidepressant. We aimed to compare guidelines to guide clinicians in best clinical practice. Methods: An extensive search in guideline databases, MEDLINE and PsycINFO was performed. When no guidelines were (publicly) available online, we contacted psychiatric-, obstetric-, perinatal- and mood disorder societies of all first world countries and the five largest second world countries. Only Clinical Practice Guidelines adhering to quality criteria of the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation instrument and including a systematic review of evidence were included. Data extraction focussed on recommendations regarding continuation or withdrawal of antidepressants and preferred treatment in newly depressed patients. Results: Our initial search resulted in 1094 articles. After first screening, 40 full-text articles were screened. Of these, 24 were excluded for not being an official Clinical Practice Guidelines. In total, 16 Clinical Practice Guidelines were included originating from 12 countries. Eight guidelines were perinatal specific and eight were general guidelines. Conclusion: During pregnancy, four guidelines advise to continue antidepressants, while there is a lack of evidence supporting this recommendation. Five guidelines do not specifically advise or discourage continuation. For new episodes, guidelines agree on psychotherapy (especially cognitive behavioural therapy) as initial treatment for mild to moderate depression and antidepressants for severe depression, with a preference for sertraline. Paroxetine is not preferred treatment for new episodes but switching antidepressants for ongoing treatment is discouraged (three guidelines). If mothers use antidepressants, observation of the neonate is generally recommended and breastfeeding encouraged. PMID:29506399

Guidelines on treatment of perinatal depression with antidepressants: An international review.

PubMed

Molenaar, Nina M; Kamperman, Astrid M; Boyce, Philip; Bergink, Veerle

2018-04-01

Several countries have developed Clinical Practice Guidelines regarding treatment of perinatal depressive symptoms and perinatal use of antidepressant. We aimed to compare guidelines to guide clinicians in best clinical practice. An extensive search in guideline databases, MEDLINE and PsycINFO was performed. When no guidelines were (publicly) available online, we contacted psychiatric-, obstetric-, perinatal- and mood disorder societies of all first world countries and the five largest second world countries. Only Clinical Practice Guidelines adhering to quality criteria of the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation instrument and including a systematic review of evidence were included. Data extraction focussed on recommendations regarding continuation or withdrawal of antidepressants and preferred treatment in newly depressed patients. Our initial search resulted in 1094 articles. After first screening, 40 full-text articles were screened. Of these, 24 were excluded for not being an official Clinical Practice Guidelines. In total, 16 Clinical Practice Guidelines were included originating from 12 countries. Eight guidelines were perinatal specific and eight were general guidelines. During pregnancy, four guidelines advise to continue antidepressants, while there is a lack of evidence supporting this recommendation. Five guidelines do not specifically advise or discourage continuation. For new episodes, guidelines agree on psychotherapy (especially cognitive behavioural therapy) as initial treatment for mild to moderate depression and antidepressants for severe depression, with a preference for sertraline. Paroxetine is not preferred treatment for new episodes but switching antidepressants for ongoing treatment is discouraged (three guidelines). If mothers use antidepressants, observation of the neonate is generally recommended and breastfeeding encouraged.

Best Practice No 177: Best practice guideline: writing a business case for service development in pathology.

PubMed

Galloway, M J

2004-04-01

This guideline reviews the introduction and development of business planning in the National Health Service. A guideline for writing a business case for service development that would form part of a pathology business plan has been developed. This guideline outlines six steps that are required in the preparation of a business case. The format of the guideline has been developed largely from other national guidelines that have been published for the development of capital projects. In view of the publication of these guidelines, the scope of this guideline excludes business cases for information, management, and technology projects and large capital projects.

Enhancing health care professionals' and trainees' knowledge of physical activity guidelines for adults with and without SCI.

PubMed

Shirazipour, Celina H; Tomasone, Jennifer R; Martin Ginis, Kathleen A

2018-01-11

Health care providers (HCPs) are preferred sources of physical activity (PA) information; however, minimal research has explored HCPs' knowledge of spinal cord injury (SCI) PA guidelines, and no research has examined HCP trainees' PA guideline knowledge. The current study explored HCPs' and trainees' initial knowledge of PA guidelines for both adults with SCI and the general population, and the utility of an event-based intervention for improving this knowledge. Participants (HCPs n = 129; trainees n = 573) reported guideline knowledge for both sets of guidelines (SCI and general population) immediately after, one-month, and six-months following the intervention. Frequencies determined guideline knowledge at each timepoint, while chi-squared tests examined differences in knowledge of both guidelines, as well as knowledge differences in the short- and long-term. Results demonstrated that HCPs and trainees lack knowledge of PA guidelines, particularly guidelines for adults with SCI. The results further suggest that a single event-based intervention is not effective for improving long-term guideline knowledge. Suggestions are made for future research with the aim of improving interventions that target HCP and HCP trainees' long-term guideline knowledge for adults with SCI and the general population.

Critical appraisal of clinical practice guidelines in pediatric infectious diseases.

PubMed

Wilby, Kyle John; Black, Emily Kathleen; MacLeod, Claire; Wiens, Matthew; Lau, Tim T Y; Paiva, Maria A; Gorman, Sean

2015-10-01

There is a need to critically appraise clinical practice guidelines in order to ensure safe and effective practices are being implemented to optimize patient care. Appraising guidelines within one therapeutic area enable recommendations for improvement during guideline creation and dissemination. Study objectives were to systematically appraise selected published guidelines used in the treatment of pediatric infectious diseases and to make recommendations for improvement throughout the development and dissemination processes. The study occurred between collaborative academic and practice-based institutions located in Canada and Qatar. A literature search identified guidelines for management of pediatric infectious diseases from 1997 to 2013. Each guideline was appraised by four independent assessors, according to the appraisal of guidelines for research and evaluation II (AGREE II) instrument. Standardized domain scores were calculated for each guideline and pooled. Final endorsements for use in clinical practice were also determined. Inter-rater reliability was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients. Standardized domain scores according to the AGREE II instrument. Twenty guidelines met inclusion criteria and were appraised. Pooled domain scores were: scope and purpose (69.9), stakeholder involvement (40.1), rigour of development (47.1), clarity of presentation (73.4), applicability (23.7), editorial independence (46.7), and overall assessment (55.8). Two (10%) guidelines were recommended for use without revision, 13 (65%) guidelines were recommended with modifications, and 5 (25%) guidelines were not recommended for implementation into practice. Inter-rater reliability was moderate to good with intra-class correlations of 0.65-0.93 per guideline. The majority of appraised guidelines were moderately rated, with a 25% of guidelines not recommended for use. Strategies for improvement require the involvement of all key stakeholders (caregivers, patients, and allied health professionals), and consideration of facilitators, barriers and resource implications during implementation. Additionally, critical appraisal of guidelines should become standard practice prior to adoption into clinical settings.

The methodological quality of guidelines for hospital-acquired pneumonia and ventilator-associated pneumonia: A systematic review.

PubMed

Ambaras Khan, R; Aziz, Z

2018-05-02

Clinical practice guidelines serve as a framework for physicians to make decisions and to support best practice for optimizing patient care. However, if the guidelines do not address all the important components of optimal care sufficiently, the quality and validity of the guidelines can be reduced. The objectives of this study were to systematically review current guidelines for hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), evaluate their methodological quality and highlight the similarities and differences in their recommendations for empirical antibiotic and antibiotic de-escalation strategies. This review is reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) statement. Electronic databases including MEDLINE, CINAHL, PubMed and EMBASE were searched up to September 2017 for relevant guidelines. Other databases such as NICE, Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) and the websites of professional societies were also searched for relevant guidelines. The quality and reporting of included guidelines were assessed using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II (AGREE-II) instrument. Six guidelines were eligible for inclusion in our review. Among 6 domains of AGREE-II, "clarity of presentation" scored the highest (80.6%), whereas "applicability" scored the lowest (11.8%). All the guidelines supported the antibiotic de-escalation strategy, whereas the majority of the guidelines (5 of 6) recommended that empirical antibiotic therapy should be implemented in accordance with local microbiological data. All the guidelines suggested that for early-onset HAP/VAP, therapy should start with a narrow spectrum empirical antibiotic such as penicillin or cephalosporins, whereas for late-onset HAP/VAP, the guidelines recommended the use of a broader spectrum empirical antibiotic such as the penicillin extended spectrum carbapenems and glycopeptides. Expert guidelines promote the judicious use of antibiotics and prevent antibiotic overuse. The quality and validity of available HAP/VAP guidelines would be enhanced by improving their adherence to accepted best practice for the management of HAP and VAP. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Clinical practice guidelines within the Southern African development community: a descriptive study of the quality of guideline development and concordance with best evidence for five priority diseases

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Reducing the burden of disease relies on availability of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines (CPGs). There is limited data on availability, quality and content of guidelines within the Southern African Development Community (SADC). This evaluation aims to address this gap in knowledge and provide recommendations for regional guideline development. Methods We prioritised five diseases: HIV in adults, malaria in children and adults, pre-eclampsia, diarrhoea in children and hypertension in primary care. A comprehensive electronic search to locate guidelines was conducted between June and October 2010 and augmented with email contact with SADC Ministries of Health. Independent reviewers used the AGREE II tool to score six quality domains reporting the guideline development process. Alignment of the evidence-base of the guidelines was evaluated by comparing their content with key recommendations from accepted reference guidelines, identified with a content expert, and percentage scores were calculated. Findings We identified 30 guidelines from 13 countries, publication dates ranging from 2003-2010. Overall the 'scope and purpose' and 'clarity and presentation' domains of the AGREE II instrument scored highest, median 58%(range 19-92) and 83%(range 17-100) respectively. 'Stakeholder involvement' followed with median 39%(range 6-75). 'Applicability', 'rigour of development' and 'editorial independence' scored poorly, all below 25%. Alignment with evidence was variable across member states, the lowest scores occurring in older guidelines or where the guideline being evaluated was part of broader primary healthcare CPG rather than a disease-specific guideline. Conclusion This review identified quality gaps and variable alignment with best evidence in available guidelines within SADC for five priority diseases. Future guideline development processes within SADC should better adhere to global reporting norms requiring broader consultation of stakeholders and transparency of process. A regional guideline support committee could harness local capacity to support context appropriate guideline development. PMID:22221856

Critical attitudes and beliefs towards guidelines amongst palliative care professionals - results from a national survey.

PubMed

Kalies, Helen; Schöttmer, Rieke; Simon, Steffen T; Voltz, Raymond; Crispin, Alexander; Bausewein, Claudia

2017-03-21

Little is known about palliative care professionals' attitudes towards guidelines. In 2015, the German Association for Palliative Medicine (DGP) published an evidence based guideline for palliative care in adults with incurable cancer. Before publication we conducted a national survey among members of the DGP to detect possible barriers and facilitators for its implementation. The aim of the present publication was to evaluate critical attitudes and beliefs which could hinder the effective implementation of the new guideline and to evaluate differences within professional groups and medical specialisations. This web-based online survey was addressed to all members of the DGP in summer 2014. Twenty-one questions concerning attitudes and beliefs towards guidelines were a priori developed to represent the following topics: scepticism regarding the quality of guidelines, doubts about the implementation of guidelines, restrictions in treatment options through guidelines, discrepancy between palliative care values and guidelines. Differences within professions and specialisations were tested using Kruskal-Wallis tests. All 4.786 members with known email address were invited, 1.181 followed the link, 1.138 began to answer the questionnaire and 1.031 completed the questionnaire. More than half of participating members were physicians and one third nurses. Scepticism regarding the quality of existing guidelines was high (range 12.8-73.2%). Doubts regarding practical aspects of guidelines were less prevalent but still high (range 21.8-57.6%). About one third (range 5.4-31.4%) think that guidelines restrict their treatment options. In addition, 38.8% believed that guidelines are a kind of cookbook and restrict the flexibility of individual patient care. The majority saw no or little discrepancy between palliative care values and guidelines (range 68.4-82.6%). There were relatively small but significant differences between professions and specialisations. The person-centred and individual approach of palliative care does not seem to contradict the acceptance of guidelines. Main barriers were related to scepticism regarding the quality of guidelines and the implementation of guidelines in general.

Systematic analysis of the quality of the scientific evidence and conflicts of interest in osteoarthritis of the hip and knee practice guidelines.

PubMed

Feuerstein, Joseph D; Pelsis, Jonathan R; Lloyd, Samuel; Cheifetz, Adam S; Stone, Kevin R

2016-02-01

To determine the validity of the hip and knee osteoarthritis guidelines. A systematic search of PubMed using a combination of Mesh and text terms with limitations to guidelines was performed to identify hip and knee osteoarthritis guidelines. The study was performed from April 17, 2014 to October 1, 2014. Guidelines were reviewed for graded levels of evidence, methods used to grade the evidence, and disclosures of conflicts of interest. Additionally, guidelines were also assessed for key quality measures using the AGREE II system for assessing the quality of guidelines. A total of 13 guidelines relevant to the diagnosis and/or treatment of hip/knee osteoarthritis was identified. The 180 recommendations reviewed were supported by 231 pieces of evidence. In total, 35% (n = 80; range: 0-26) were supported by level A evidence, 15% (n = 35; range: 0-10) were by level B, and 50% (n = 116; range: 0-62) were by level C. Median age of the guidelines was 4 years (±4.8; range: 0-16) with no comments on planned updates. In total, 31% of the guidelines included patients in the development process. Only one guideline incorporated cost consideration, and only 15% of the guidelines addressed the surgical management of osteoarthritis. Additionally, 46% of guidelines did not comment on conflicts of interest (COI). When present, there was an average 29.8 COI. Notably, 82% of the COI were monetary support/consulting. In total, 50% of the hip/knee osteoarthritis guideline recommendations are based on lower quality evidence. Nearly half the guidelines fail to disclose relevant COI and when disclosed, multiple potential COI are present. Future hip/knee osteoarthritis guideline development committees should strive to improve the transparency and quality of evidence used to formulate practice guidelines. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Summary of the British Transplantation Society Guidelines for Management of the Failing Kidney Transplant.

PubMed

Andrews, Peter A

2014-12-15

The British Transplantation Society "Guideline for Transplantation Management of the Failing Kidney Transplant" was published in May 2014. This is the first national guideline in this field. In line with previous guidelines published by the British Transplantation Society, the guideline has used the GRADE system to rate the strength of evidence and recommendations.This article summarizes the Statements of Recommendation contained in the guideline, which provide a framework for the management of the failing kidney graft in the United Kingdom and may be of wide international interest. It is recommended that the full guideline document is consulted for details of the relevant references and evidence base. This may be accessed at: http://www.bts.org.uk/MBR/Clinical/Guidelines/Current/Member/Clinical/Current_Guidelines.aspx.

Pressure ulcer guideline development and dissemination in Europe.

PubMed

Meesterberends, Esther; Halfens, Ruud; Lohrmann, Christa; de Wit, Rianne

2010-06-01

To explore the current state of pressure ulcer guideline development and dissemination, from national to local level (i.e. nursing homes) in six European countries: England, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal and Sweden. Pressure ulcers are a persistent problem in healthcare institutions. Their prevalence is influenced by many factors, one of them being the development and dissemination of pressure ulcer guidelines. These are difficult and complex processes and it is not clear whether they differ between European countries. Literature review and semi-structured interviews. Interviews were conducted in six countries at national and nursing home level. Four countries had national pressure ulcer prevention and treatment guidelines. Portugal had no national guidelines and Sweden had shifted the responsibility to regional level. All participating nursing homes had pressure ulcer guidelines except those in Portugal. Control and monitoring of guideline dissemination was carried out only in Sweden and England. All countries studied have national or regional pressure ulcer prevention and treatment guidelines, except Portugal. Portugal is also the only country where none of the nursing homes included had pressure ulcer guidelines. Because the dissemination of such guidelines does not imply actual implementation, further research should focus on the implementation process. Clinical guidelines, like pressure ulcer guidelines, are important tools in guiding the care processes in healthcare institutions. Successful dissemination of guidelines from national level to individual healthcare institutions is a first and necessary step in actually applying them. Monitoring of the guideline dissemination process is therefore essential.

Underreporting of conflicts of interest in clinical practice guidelines: cross sectional study

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Conflicts of interest affect recommendations in clinical guidelines and disclosure of such conflicts is important. However, not all conflicts of interest are disclosed. Using a public available disclosure list we determined the prevalence and underreporting of conflicts of interest among authors of clinical guidelines on drug treatments. Methods We included up to five guidelines published from July 2010 to March 2012 from each Danish clinical specialty society. Using the disclosure list of the Danish Health and Medicines Authority, we identified author conflicts of interest and compared them with the disclosures in the guidelines. For each guideline we extracted methodological characteristics of guideline development. Results Forty-five guidelines from 14 specialty societies were included. Of 254 authors, 135 (53%) had conflicts of interest, corresponding to 43 of the 45 guidelines (96%) having one or more authors with a conflict of interest. Only one of the 45 guidelines (2%) disclosed author conflicts of interest. The most common type of conflict of interest (83 of the 135) was being a consultant, an advisory board member or a company employee. Only 10 guidelines (22%) described the methods used for guideline development, 27 (60%) used references in the text and 11 (24%) graded the types of evidence. Conclusions Conflicts of interest were common, but disclosures were very rare. Most guidelines did not describe how they were developed and many did not describe the evidence behind specific recommendations. Publicly available disclosure lists may assist guideline issuing bodies in ensuring that all conflicts are disclosed. PMID:23642105

Financial Relationships between Organizations That Produce Clinical Practice Guidelines and the Biomedical Industry: A Cross-Sectional Study

PubMed Central

Campsall, Paul; Colizza, Kate; Straus, Sharon; Stelfox, Henry T.

2016-01-01

Background Financial relationships between organizations that produce clinical practice guidelines and biomedical companies are vulnerable to conflicts of interest. We sought to determine whether organizations that produce clinical practice guidelines have financial relationships with biomedical companies and whether there are associations between organizations’ conflict of interest policies and recommendations and disclosures provided in guidelines. Methods and Findings We conducted a cross-sectional survey and review of websites of 95 national/international medical organizations that produced 290 clinical practice guidelines published on the National Guideline Clearinghouse website from January 1 to December 31, 2012. Survey responses were available for 68% (65/95) of organizations (167/290 guidelines, 58%), and websites were reviewed for 100% (95/95) of organizations (290/290 guidelines, 100%). In all, 63% (60/95) of organizations producing clinical practice guidelines reported receiving funds from a biomedical company; 80% (76/95) of organizations reported having a policy for managing conflicts of interest. Disclosure statements (disclosing presence or absence of financial relationships with biomedical companies) were available in 65% (188/290) of clinical practice guidelines for direct funding sources to produce the guideline, 51% (147/290) for financial relationships of the guideline committee members, and 1% (4/290) for financial relationships of the organizations producing the guidelines. Among all guidelines, 6% (18/290) disclosed direct funding by biomedical companies, 40% (117/290) disclosed financial relationships between committee members and biomedical companies (38% of guideline committee members, 773/2,043), and 1% (4/290) disclosed financial relationships between the organizations producing the guidelines and biomedical companies. In the survey responses, 60 organizations reported the procedures that they included in their conflict of interest policies (158 guidelines): guidelines produced by organizations reporting more comprehensive conflict of interest policies (per additional procedure, range 5–17) included fewer positive (rate ratio [RR] 0.91, 95% CI 0.86–0.95) and more negative (RR 1.32, 95% CI 1.09–1.60) recommendations regarding patented biomedical products. The clinical practice guidelines produced by organizations reporting more comprehensive conflict of interest policies were also more likely to include disclosure statements for direct funding sources (odds ratio [OR] 1.31, 95% CI 1.10–1.56) and financial relationships of guideline committee members (OR 1.36, 95% CI 1.09–1.79), but not financial relationships of the organizations (0 disclosures). Limitations of the study include the use of the National Guideline Clearinghouse as the single source of clinical practice guidelines and the self-report of survey responses and organizations’ website postings. Conclusions Financial relationships between organizations that produce clinical practice guidelines and biomedical companies are common and infrequently disclosed in guidelines. Our study highlights the need for an effective policy to manage organizational conflicts of interest and disclosure of financial relationships. PMID:27244653

75 FR 37819 - Proposed Information Quality Guidelines Policy

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-30

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Proposed Information Quality Guidelines Policy ACTION: Notice and request for public comment on Proposed Information Quality Guidelines. SUMMARY: These guidelines should be used to ensure and maximize the quality of disseminated information. The Department's guidelines are...

36 CFR 1191.1 - Accessibility guidelines.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Accessibility guidelines... COMPLIANCE BOARD AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA) ACCESSIBILITY GUIDELINES FOR BUILDINGS AND FACILITIES; ARCHITECTURAL BARRIERS ACT (ABA) ACCESSIBILITY GUIDELINES § 1191.1 Accessibility guidelines. (a) The...

Genetic Drift: the Salernitan school of medicine: women, men, and children. A syndromological review of the oldest medical school in the western world.

PubMed

Della Monica, Matteo; Mauri, Roberto; Scarano, Francesca; Lonardo, Fortunato; Scarano, Gioacchino

2013-04-01

Ever since the 9th century during the High Middle Ages, the "Schola Medica Salernitana," believed to be the first medical school in the western world, flourished in Salerno, a city in southern Italy. Although an important role is attributed to several men of this school, who were recognized as wise and learned doctors, modern historiography has also reevaluated and extolled the praiseworthy role of women. Contrary to the common beliefs and expectations of a woman's "place" at the time, these women were fully titled physicians. Attention was also paid to the health and welfare of children. However, there are no apparent references to physical disabilities, a mysterious omission that seems incompatible with an institution that stood as a beacon of knowledge for centuries. Mysteries, discoveries, and potential hidden messages are mingled in a fascinating medieval codex yet to be fully deciphered. The medical school reached its maximum splendor between the years of 1000 and 1300 AD. After alternating fortunes, the Salernitan institution began a slow decline due to the explosive development of other universities, such as those in Paris, Bologna, Padua, and most significantly, the nearby University of Naples. It was eventually closed by the King of Naples, Joachim Murat, November 29, 1811. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The relationships between content of heavy metals in soil and in strawberries.

PubMed

Bystricka, Judita; Musilova, Janette; Trebichalsky, Pavol; Tomas, Jan; Stanovic, Radovan; Bajcan, Daniel; Kavalcova, Petra

2016-01-01

The work was aimed at assessment of quality of strawberry based on the contents of heavy metals as well as the possible correlations between selected heavy metals in soil and strawberries. The results revealed that from all observed metals in soil determined in aqua regia only in the case of cadmium the maximum permissible limit in comparison with the limit resulting from the Law No. 220/2004 as well as threshold values proposed by European Commission (EC) (2006) has been exceeded. In our paper the values of cadmium in the soil representing 1.86 to 2.41 times higher values than limit valid in the Slovak Republic (0.7 mg/kg) and 2.6 to 3.38 times higher in comparison to EC (0.5 mg/kg). In our study in 1 M NH4NO3 the values of lead ranged from 0.125 to 0.205 mg/kg representing values exceeded the limit valid in Slovak Republic (0.1 mg/kg) about 0.037-0.105 mg/kg. Despite exceeded values of heavy metals in soil, no values above the limit directly in strawberries when compared to Food Codex of Slovak Republic as well as to Commission Regulation 1881/2006 were recorded. Among the varieties statistically significant differences (P < 0.05) in intake of heavy metals were found.